The AMWU has welcomed the Compact with Young Australians secured at the Council of Australian Government (COAG) meeting last week.
The compact, which was announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis is aimed at providing training and skills for young Australians so that they have better employment opportunities as Australia recovers from the global recession.
Under the terms of the Compact, every Australian under the age of 25 will have a guaranteed education or training place.
This education and training guarantee will ensure anyone under the age of 25, including those who lose their job, will be able to take part in further education or training.
AMWU National Skills Coordinator Ian Curry said the union was happy that the government was intervening to avoid the mistakes of the past which meant young people lost their jobs in the recession and became the long term unemployed.
“We support the government creating employment opportunities for young people, but it has to be meaningful training with the possibility of a job at the end of it.”
“The training has to be at industry standards. We want real training for real skills for real jobs.”
The government anticipates that the Compact with Young Australians will provide up to 135,000 young people with higher qualifications.
Ms Ellis said the Compact is about ensuring that young Australians who lose their job in this recession are trained to be the tradespeople and professionals of the recovery.
“We cannot allow the skills and training needed by a modern economy to skip a generation because of a global recession.”
To support this new Compact, the Australian Government will strengthen the conditions unemployed young people must meet to receive Youth Allowance.
Anyone under the age of 20 without a year 12 or equivalent qualification must be in education or training in order to receive youth allowance.
This same condition must be met if the parents of young people in the same circumstances wish to receive Family Tax Benefit Part A.
If young people or their parents want to receive government benefits, the young person must be working or earning a year 12 equivalent qualification.