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Mistakes are often useful highlights of where we need to improve. In sitting
down to write a policy commentary on the Learning and Work: The Situation
of Young Australians seminar I mistakenly typed 'The Situation for Young
Australians' not, 'of Young Australians'.
Apart from the need for my typing to improve perhaps the title of the
seminar highlights our most significant policy mistake. The situation of
young people and the situation for young people are in fact different things
and reflect different view points. The first reflects a process where young
people are the subjects of examination and policy response; a process where
others examine their situation from a distance.
To my mind the most important challenge in using the quite excellent
research material presented at the Learning and Work: The Situation of
YoungAustralians seminar is to begin to understand the situation for young
people from their view point and construct policy responses which give life
to their visions, aspirations and dreams.
Before assessing what policy implications we draw from the changes
presented in the papers we must clarify why it is we are seeking to do
anything in response. Our policy intentions when responding to changes in
young peoples lives must be clearly identified. Too often policy makers leave
too much unsaid and assume that we are all seeking to achieve the same
objectives and have the same interests in mind; I suspect that too often we
don't.
In my view it is important to distinguish between the issue of
unemployment and the rights of the unemployed. It could be argued that our
policy responses to youth unemployment are responding to concerns or
issues other than the needs, aspirations and rights of the young unemployed.
Consider the following list of community concerns and issues related to
unemployment and the policy responses that follow.
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