Youth Connectors Program

Media release – Rebecca White MP, Labor Leader, 7 April 2021

Labor will help get young Tasmanians into good, secure jobs

Tasmanian Labor will support the Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT) to implement its 24-month pilot program ‘Youth Connectors’ to address youth unemployment.

Labor Leader Rebecca White said the program will help support 480 young people into work over the next two years.

“A majority Labor Government will help get young people into jobs by supporting the Youth Connectors program,” Ms White said

“This program will help address the serious issues facing youth employment in Tasmania, with youth unemployment sitting at 12.2%.

“The Youth Connectors program will be run out of Jobs Hubs in Sorell, Glenorchy and George Town and will provide individualised services to young people to help connect them to work.”

Ms White said this program will complement Labor’s existing jobs policy, with a plan to create 10 Jobs Hubs across Tasmania to support 1,000 people of all ages into work each year.

“In addition to the Youth Connectors program Labor will invest $17.5 million over four years to fund regional jobs hubs across Tasmania.

“These hubs will be based on the South East Employment Hub model and be adapted to the specific needs of local communities.

“Labor will also fundamentally reform in-school career education to connect today’s learners with tomorrow’s jobs.

“We will invest $18.8 million into career education, creating jobs for 65 career educators who will work with students and teachers across years 7-12 to make career education part of what happens every day in every classroom.

“Only Labor is working for Tasmanians to help ensure people of all ages can get access to good, secure jobs.

“While Peter Gutwein and the Liberals plan to privatise TAFE and carve up the Hydro, Labor has a clear plan to help get Tasmanians to work and get the economy working for Tasmanians.”

Media release – Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT) , 7 April 2021

YNOT welcomes election commitment from Tasmanian Labor to invest in young people

The Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT) today welcomed the Labor Party’s commitment to invest in young Tasmanians by supporting Youth Connectors, a pilot program to address youth unemployment, as well as reforming Career Education in schools, if elected to government.

Youth Connectors, an initiative of YNOT, is a youth targeted, individualised program specifically designed to respond to youth unemployment and underemployment in Tasmania. The program will build on the place-based strength of Employment Hubs in Sorell, Glenorchy and George Town, and will support young people to address barriers to work and training, identify employment opportunities in the local market and connect with industry.

Tania Hunt YNOT CEO said “We applaud the Labor Party’s commitment to invest in youth targeted initiatives to support young Tasmanians into meaningful, secure employment”.

“Youth unemployment has been a persistent problem for well over a decade in Tasmania. It is evident that current approaches don’t work well enough and that we need to do things differently to support the economic participation of young people in our state. Youth Connectors is an evidence-based program designed to specifically target youth unemployment in Tasmania” Ms. Hunt said.

Career education plays a pivotal role in assisting young people to develop a greater understanding of career options, pathways, the labour market and employment and is an initiative supported by the state’s youth peak body.

“Young Tasmanians have told us that they want to be better informed of their career options in high school and that these types of conversations need to start at a younger age to better prepare them for jobs of the future. Young people want to explore the types of careers options available to them in Years 7 and 8,” Ms Hunt said.