ACT Youth Commitment
ACT Youth Commitment
The National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Commonwealth are committed to working collaboratively to increase the educational engagement, attainment and successful transitions of young people. Through the National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions, ACT has agreed to meet a range of targets to improve participation, lift qualifications and support successful transitions.
The National Partnership was established to achieve a national Year 12 or equivalent attainment rate of 90 per cent by 2015, provide an education or training entitlement to young people aged 15-24; better engage young people in education and training; assist young people aged 15-24 to make a successful transition from schooling into further education, training or employment; and better align Commonwealth, State and Territory programs and services related to youth, careers and transitions.
The ACT has committed to a number of key reforms under the National Partnership, one of which is the establishment of the ACT Youth Commitment.
ACT Youth Commitment
The ACT recognises that there is a unique opportunity presented by the Youth Attainment and Transitions National Partnership and the associated context established between the Commonwealth and ACT governments. The opportunity is to secure a significant change in the approach being taken to support young people and to entrench that approach for all Canberrans.
The ACT is developing an ACT Youth Commitment that will ensure that the needs of each young person are at the heart of agency activities. If a student moves from school to further education and training or work, he/she will continue to be accounted for, cared for and supported.
The Youth Commitment will require all agencies that serve young people to the age of 17 to commit to ensuring that no young person is lost from education, training or employment.
The Youth Commitment will establish a shared responsibility among:
- Public/Government Schools
- Private/Non-Government Schools
- Canberra Institute of Technology
- Registered Training Organisations
- Community Organisations
- Employers
- Parents
- Related Government (Commonwealth and ACT) and non-government agencies.
The Youth Commitment is underpinned by the ACT Education Act (importantly the amendments to the mandatory participation age) and the range of policies, services, activities and programs operating to support children and young people.
The ACT Youth Commitment Steering Group (YC SG) is leading the development and implementation of the ACT Youth Commitment.
The goals for the ACT Youth Commitment are to:
- Ensure that no young person is lost from education, training or employment.
- Establish a shared responsibility between stakeholders who serve young people including government/non-government schools, Canberra Institute of Technology, registered training organisations, community organisations, employers, parents, related government (Commonwealth and ACT) and non-government agencies.
- Enhance the ACT’s significant record of excellence in educational achievement.
- Work to make the transition through education and on to further education and training and/or employment a positive experience for each young person.
There are four groups that sit under the ACT YC SG. These are:
- Vocational Learning in Schools Advisory Group – this group will support the engagement of all young people in education and training and the positive transition to full-time education and training options or full-time work.
- ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Transitions Leadership Group – this group will connect providers and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support agencies with each other and with schools to enable a coordinated, innovative approach to the transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people through education and onto further education, training and/or employment.
- Data and Analysis Group – this group will investigate issues and develop stategies relating to the collection of data and the tracking of progress towards the achievement of the targets in the ACT Youth Attainment and Transitions National Partnership.
- Reengaging Youth Leadership – this group will lead the collaboration and coordination of activities that support disengaged young people to reconnect with education, training or employment or a combination of these, to connect providers with each other and to schools in order to improve the educational outcomes for disengaged youth and to work to build a resilient system that ensures that no young person is lost from education, training or employment.
Pathways Planning will be an important component of the ACT Youth Commitment. A Pathways Planning Working Group has been set up to develop a consistent approach to Pathways Planning across all agencies within the ACT.
For more information regarding the ACT Youth Commitment please contact: ACTYouthCommitment@act.gov.au or on 6205 2254.
