New approaches to help more young people into work

The Turnbull Government has today announced the latest round of successful organisations that will provide assistance to young people to overcome barriers to unemployment.

The Empowering YOUth Initiative seeks to empower young people who are disengaged from the workforce or school and who face complex issues that affect their future.

Minister for Employment, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, was today hosted by Anglicare WA to announce the additional 21 organisations that will be offered the opportunity to deliver new approaches to assist young people into work.

"Anglicare WA’s success in the latest application round means they are able to design, test and implement new intervention methods to meet the needs of homeless young people and place them into employment,” Minister Cash said.

"The Turnbull Government is determined to break the cycle of unemployment and welfare dependency and to do so it is critical to focus on young Australians.

"We are committed to implementing new and innovative approaches to help young people into jobs and that is exactly what the Empowering YOUth Initiative delivers.

"Tackling youth unemployment will require the Government to contemplate new ideas and to think outside the box. By exploring, developing and refining new concepts, we will boost employment outcomes for young Australians.”

Applicants in the second round of Empowering YOUth Initiatives were invited to apply for grant funding of up to $5 million to deliver initiatives over two years to young people aged 15 to 24 get into work.

The Department of Employment will partner with the successful organisations to support the evaluation of each initiative, which will inform new policies and programs targeted at young people.

"The Turnbull Government’s allocation of $50 million to the Empowering YOUth Initiatives demonstrates our commitment to assisting young people into the workplace,” Minister Cash said.

"Early intervention can mean the difference between a young person taking their first steps into a productive and happy working life or entering a life of welfare dependency.”

Empowering YOUth Initiatives is part of the Government’s Youth Employment Strategy announced in the Growing Jobs and Small Business Package in the 2015-16 Budget.

For more information on Empowering YOUth Initiatives and other support available for young people under the Government’s Youth Employment Strategy, visit: www.employment.gov.au/youth

A list of the successful organisations under round two of Empowering YOUth Initiatives is attached.