According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), recent unemployment rates in Australia were at 5.8%, with the unemployment rate highest in young people aged 15-24 at 12.9%. The ABS reported that the average duration of unemployment for young people has been on the rise more recently. So why do young people have the lowest rates of unemployment?
The benefits of hiring young people are important to consider and have been reviewed in recent literature, it may include increased energy and willingness to learn, improved technology skills and ability to connect with new networks, less expensive to hire, more optimistic being new to the workforce, and easier to manage.
However, some disadvantages have been noted in research, and may include difficulty completing tasks without the use of technology, decreased experienced and skills, and may experience difficulty receiving negative feedback in the workplace. Good news is, all of these challenges can be considered and appropriate strategies adopted to best support your teenager move into the workforce.
What can you do to help your teenager start looking for work and commence employment in a competitive labour market?
1. Build confidence and motivation – Ask your teenager to write a list of skills and strengths that they have, and examples of when they use these. Don’t forget that your teenager has many skills and strengths, even though they may not be from a paid employment opportunity, they may have been achieved from everyday life.
2. Complete a stress management plan with your teenager that will be used whilst job seeking and in the workplace. An example of a stress management plan can be viewed at: http://www.fosteringresilience.com/pdf/stress_management_plan.pdf. These two tips help your adolescent to build a foundation before starting active job seeking and commencing work.
Did you know we have job seeking packages and programs available? We are conducting, ‘Starting Work? Job Seeking and Work Support’ on 23 February 2019 and 29 June 2019, and you can register your teenager through the following link, and they can bring a sibling or friend for free: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/80718/starting_work_job_seeking_and_work_support.aspx