the central coast youth commitment …the central coast youth commitment environment scan a report...

THE CENTRAL COAST YOUTH COMMITMENT ENVIRONMENT SCAN A REPORT FOR THE YOUTH COMMITMENT STEERING GROUP

By

Adam Stokes BEc (Hons) Evan Steverson BSc, Grad Dip ASOS (Hons)

The Hunter Valley Research Foundation ABN 91 257 269 334

PO Box 3023 Hamilton Delivery Centre, NSW 2303 Phone: (02) 49694566 Facsimile: (02) 49614981 E-mail: [email protected] March 2002

The information contained herein is believed to be reliable and accurate. However, no guarantee is given as to its accuracy or reliability, and no responsibility or liability

for any information, opinions, or commentary contained herein, or for any consequences of its use, will be accepted by The Hunter Valley Research

Foundation, or by any person involved in the preparation of this report.

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Table of contents

LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................... V

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... VII

LIST OF MAPS........................................................................................................ VIII

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... IX

RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................. XI

1 INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................1 1.1 REQUIREMENTS OF THE BRIEF ........................................................................1 1.2 SCOPE OF THE REPORT ..................................................................................2 1.3 DATA COLLECTION AND INFORMATION SOURCES..............................................3

1.3.1 Surveys.....................................................................................................3 1.3.2 Desktop data collection ............................................................................4 1.3.3 Personal correspondence.........................................................................4 1.3.4 Concurrent studies ...................................................................................5 1.3.5 Other data.................................................................................................5

2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE CENTRAL COAST ...................................6 2.1 POPULATION PROFILE.....................................................................................6

2.1.1 Composition and growth...........................................................................6 2.1.2 Ethnicity ..................................................................................................10 2.1.3 Household profile....................................................................................10 2.1.4 Implications of population profile ............................................................12

2.2 EDUCATION PROFILE ....................................................................................13 2.2.1 Qualification attainment ..........................................................................13 2.2.2 Educational institution attendance..........................................................14 2.2.3 Age left school ........................................................................................14

2.3 LABOUR FORCE PROFILE ..............................................................................15 2.3.1 Unemployment and labour force participation ........................................15 2.3.2 Employment............................................................................................18 2.3.3 Employment by industry and occupation................................................19 2.3.4 Employment and business size ..............................................................21 2.3.5 Travel to work .........................................................................................22

2.4 INCOME........................................................................................................25 2.5 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................25

3 CENTRAL COAST YOUTH PROFILE ..............................................................27 3.1 YOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS................................................................................27

3.1.1 Population, gender and ethnicity ............................................................27 3.1.2 Labour force profile.................................................................................28 3.1.3 Income....................................................................................................33

3.2 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................34

4 EDUCATION AND TRAINING...........................................................................36 4.1 PARTICIPATION PATTERNS............................................................................36

4.1.1 Primary and secondary schools .............................................................37

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4.1.1.1 School retention rates....................................................................37 4.1.1.2 Literacy, numeracy and test scores ...............................................38 4.1.1.3 Youth Action Project ......................................................................38

4.1.2 TAFE ......................................................................................................38 4.1.3 University................................................................................................40 4.1.4 Other providers.......................................................................................41

4.2 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) PARTICIPATION ......................42 4.2.1 VET in schools........................................................................................42 4.2.2 TAFE delivered VET (TVET) ..................................................................45 4.2.3 Private Vocational providers...................................................................45

4.3 POST-SCHOOL DESTINATION.........................................................................46 4.3.1 Census data ...........................................................................................47 4.3.2 Central Coast Tracking Project...............................................................48 4.3.3 Central Coast Connect (Triple C) Program ............................................49

4.4 APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINEESHIPS..........................................................50 4.5 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................51

5 YOUTH SERVICES PROFILE...........................................................................52 5.1 TRANSITION SERVICES..................................................................................52

5.1.1 Jobs Pathway Program (JPP) – Youth Connections ..............................52 5.1.2 Central Coast Connect (Triple C) – Youth Connections.........................53 5.1.3 Work Out Lighthouse Project – Youth Connections ...............................55 5.1.4 Central Coast Work Placement – Youth Connections............................55 5.1.5 Plan it Youth – Youth Connections.........................................................55 5.1.6 Job Placement, Employment and Training Program (JPET) –

Work Wise ..............................................................................................56 5.1.7 Other programs ......................................................................................57

5.2 LABOUR MARKET PROGRAMS........................................................................57 5.2.1 Job Network............................................................................................57

5.2.1.1 Job Network participation by young people ...................................59 5.2.1.2 Survey of Job Network members...................................................61

5.3 OTHER PROGRAMS.......................................................................................62 5.3.1 The Youth Action Project........................................................................62 5.3.2 The Jigsaw Project .................................................................................62 5.3.3 POEM and CATS ...................................................................................63

5.4 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................64

6 SOCIAL ISSUES................................................................................................65 6.1 HEALTH STATUS OF CENTRAL COAST YOUTH.................................................65

6.1.1 Youth depression and suicide ................................................................65 6.1.2 Substance abuse....................................................................................66 6.1.3 Access to health services .......................................................................67

6.2 YOUTH CRIME ..............................................................................................67 6.3 ACCESS TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE...................................68

6.3.1 Transport ................................................................................................68 6.4 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES .........................................................69 6.5 YOUTH SERVICES.........................................................................................70 6.6 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................72

7 CENTRAL COAST STUDENT SURVEY...........................................................73 7.1 RESPONDENT PROFILE.................................................................................73

7.1.1 Participating high schools.......................................................................73 7.1.2 Local Government Area..........................................................................73 7.1.3 School type.............................................................................................74 7.1.4 Gender....................................................................................................74

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7.2 INTENTIONS TO COMPLETE SCHOOLING .........................................................74 7.2.1 Year 9 intentions.....................................................................................74 7.2.2 Year 10 Intentions ..................................................................................75 7.2.3 Year 11 intentions...................................................................................76

7.3 IMMEDIATE POST-SCHOOL DESTINATION........................................................77 7.3.1 What do you want to do?........................................................................77 7.3.2 What are you most likely to do? .............................................................78 7.3.3 What do you think will prevent you from doing what you want? .............78

7.4 WORKING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ....................................................................79 7.4.1 Do you have a job?.................................................................................79 7.4.2 How many hours do you work? ..............................................................79

7.5 QUALIFICATION ASPIRATIONS........................................................................80 7.6 WILLINGNESS TO TRAVEL FOR WORK.............................................................80 7.7 DIFFICULTIES FINDING WORK ........................................................................81

7.7.1 How difficult will it be to find work? .........................................................81 7.7.2 Why might it be difficult to find work? .....................................................81

7.8 SUPPORT FROM SCHOOL ..............................................................................82 7.9 WORK EXPERIENCE THROUGH SCHOOL .........................................................83

7.9.1 Have you undertaken work experience? ................................................83 7.9.2 How did you benefit from work experience?...........................................83

7.10 GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES .....................................................84 7.10.1 Awareness of Government programs.................................................84 7.10.2 Differences in awareness of Government programs - Year 9............84 7.10.3 Differences in awareness of Government programs - Year 10..........85 7.10.4 Differences in awareness of Government programs - Year 11..........86 7.10.5 Understanding of the services available.............................................86

7.11 KEY POINTS FROM THE STUDENT SURVEY......................................................87

8 CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS SURVEY .........................................................89 8.1 RESPONDENT PROFILE.................................................................................89

8.1.1 Industry type ...........................................................................................89 8.1.2 Business size..........................................................................................89

8.2 EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE .................................................................90 8.2.1 Employment of young people .................................................................90 8.2.2 Employment of young people by industry type.......................................90 8.2.3 Employment of young people by number of employees.........................90

8.3 EMPLOYMENT OF APPRENTICES OR TRAINEES ...............................................91 8.3.1 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the past three months ..........91 8.3.2 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the past three months by

industry type .........................................................................................91 8.3.3 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the past three months by

number of employees .............................................................................92 8.3.4 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the next three months ..........92 8.3.5 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the next three months by

industry type ...........................................................................................92 8.3.6 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the next three months by

number of employees .............................................................................93 8.4 PERCEPTIONS OF YOUNG WORKERS .............................................................93

8.4.1 Satisfaction with young workers .............................................................93 8.4.2 Reasons for satisfaction with young workers .........................................93 8.4.3 Reasons for dissatisfaction with young workers.....................................94

8.5 NON-EMPLOYERS OF YOUNG WORKERS ........................................................94 8.6 IMPROVING THE EMPLOYABILITY OF YOUNG WORKERS ...................................95 8.7 KEY POINTS FROM THE BUSINESS SURVEY.....................................................96

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9 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................98

10 BIBLIOGRAPHY..............................................................................................100

APPENDIX 1 – LIST OF CONTACTS .....................................................................102

APPENDIX 2 – ELECTRONIC MAPPING...............................................................105

APPENDIX 2A – POPULATION MAPS ..................................................................106

APPENDIX 2B – EDUCATION PROVIDERS MAPS ..............................................111

APPENDIX 2C – SERVICE PROVIDERS ...............................................................115

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List of tables Table 1: Population estimates, June 2000 ..................................................................6 Table 2: Population growth, 1986-2000 .......................................................................7 Table 3: Population growth for 15-19 and 20-24 year olds, 1986-2000 .......................8 Table 4: Population projections...................................................................................9 Table 5: Percentage change in population projections .............................................10 Table 6: Resident’s country of birth, 1996.................................................................10 Table 7: Household profile, 1996 ..............................................................................11 Table 8: Change in household profile, 1986-1996 ....................................................11 Table 9: Private dwelling tenure by region, 1996 ......................................................12 Table 10: Qualifications of persons aged 15 and over by region, 1986-1996...........13 Table 11: Unemployment and labour force ................................................................17 Table 12: Total New Start and Youth Allowance recipients of at least 12 months

duration, August 2000 ........................................................................................18 Table 13: Labour force status ....................................................................................19 Table 14: Employment by industry.............................................................................20 Table 15: Employment by occupation ........................................................................21 Table 16: Number of Central Coast business locations by employment size,

September 1998.................................................................................................22 Table 17: Destination for workers from the Central Coast, 1996 ...............................24 Table 18: Individual average weekly income, 1996 ...................................................25 Table 19: Youth population by region ........................................................................27 Table 20: Change in labour force status of 15-19 year olds, 1986-96 .......................28 Table 21: Change in labour force status of 20-24 year olds, 1986-96 .......................29 Table 22: Unemployment and labour force, 15-19 year olds .....................................30 Table 23: Employment by occupation of 15-19 year olds, 1996 ................................32 Table 24: Employment by occupation of 20-24 year olds, 1996 ................................32 Table 25: Average individual weekly income for 15-19 year olds, 1996 ....................33 Table 26: Average individual weekly income for 20-24 year olds, 1996 ....................34 Table 27: Enrolments at major education institutions, Central Coast ........................36 Table 28: Apparent retention rates for NSW schools.................................................38 Table 29: TAFE enrolments on the Central Coast ....................................................39 Table 30: TAFE enrolment by age, 2000 ...................................................................39 Table 31: Characteristics of TAFE students, 2000.....................................................40 Table 32: Enrolment at Adult Community Education providers.................................42 Table 33: Participation in school-based VET, 2001 ..................................................43 Table 34: Students participation in VET courses with mandatory work placement

within the Central Coast geographical region.....................................................43 Table 35: VET participation by business type, 2001 ..................................................44 Table 36: TAFE delivered VET in schools (enrolments) ...........................................45 Table 37: Year 12 school leavers, March and November 2001 ................................49 Table 38: Destination of early school leavers, February-August 2001......................50 Table 39: Destination of school leavers, February-August 2001 ..............................54 Table 40: VET participation by business type, 2001 ..................................................55 Table 41: Centrelink services provided to Central Coast youth, 2001 .......................57 Table 42: Job Network providers on the Central Coast .............................................59 Table 43: Program commencements for 15-20 age group in Central Coast

Employer Service Area.......................................................................................60 Table 44: Job Network participation in the Central Coast .........................................60 Table 45: Job Network participation in Australia .......................................................61 Table 46: Mental health self-rating results from NSW Health Surveys .....................66

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Table 47: Suicides on the Central Coast, 1995-2000 ...............................................66 Table 48: Crime rate for the top five offences, 1996*................................................68 Table 49: Crime rate for top five crimes committed by 10-20 year olds, 1996* ........68 Table 50: Youth Services in the Central Coast (number of identified service

providers) ...........................................................................................................70 Table 51: Youth services and issues in the Central Coast.........................................71 Table 52: Schools that participated in HVRF survey.................................................73 Table 53: Location of schools ....................................................................................74 Table 54: Type of school............................................................................................74 Table 55: Gender of survey participants ....................................................................74 Table 56: Year 9 intensions to complete school ........................................................75 Table 57: Year 9 intensions to complete school by location ......................................75 Table 58: Year 9 intensions to complete school by school type ................................75 Table 59: Year 10 intensions to complete school ......................................................75 Table 60: Year 10 intensions to complete school by location ....................................76 Table 61: Year 10 intensions to complete school by school type ..............................76 Table 62: Year 11 intensions to complete school ......................................................76 Table 63: Year 11 intensions to complete school by location ....................................76 Table 64: Year 11 intensions to complete school by school type ..............................77 Table 65: Students post-school preferences..............................................................77 Table 66: Students post-school probable outcomes ..................................................78 Table 67: Barriers to preferred post-school outcome.................................................79 Table 68: Current employment status ........................................................................79 Table 69: Current average weekly working hours......................................................80 Table 70: Perceived qualification required for preferred employment........................80 Table 71: Work destination and travel........................................................................81 Table 72: Perceptions on obtaining employment .......................................................81 Table 73: Perceived barriers to obtaining employment..............................................82 Table 74: Area’s to improve school career assistance...............................................82 Table 75: School work experience .............................................................................83 Table 76: Benefits of work experience .......................................................................83 Table 77: Knowledge of government programs .........................................................84 Table 78: Knowledge of government programs by location – Year 9 ........................85 Table 79: Knowledge of government programs by school type – Year 9...................85 Table 80: Knowledge of government programs by location – Year 10 ......................85 Table 81: Knowledge of government programs by school type – Year 10.................85 Table 82: Knowledge of government programs by location – Year 11 ......................86 Table 83: Knowledge of government programs by school type – Year 11.................86 Table 84: Understanding of employment assistance services ...................................86 Table 85: Business participation by industry type ......................................................89 Table 86: Size of business by employment................................................................90 Table 87: Employment of young people.....................................................................90 Table 88: Employment of young people by industry type ..........................................90 Table 89: Employment of young people by business size .........................................91 Table 90: Employment of apprentices or trainees......................................................91 Table 91: Employment of apprentices or trainees by industry type ...........................91 Table 92: Employment of apprentices or trainees by business size ..........................92 Table 93: Future employment of apprentices or trainees...........................................92 Table 94: Future employment of apprentices or trainees by industry type ................92 Table 95: Future employment of apprentices or trainees by business size ...............93 Table 96: Satisfaction with young employees ............................................................93 Table 97: Reasons for satisfaction with young employees ........................................94 Table 98: Reasons for dissatisfaction with young employees....................................94 Table 99: Reasons for not employing young people..................................................95 Table 100: Desirable skills and attributes of young employees .................................96

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List of figures Figure 1: Age cohort as a percentage of the population, 1996 ....................................7 Figure 2: Population of NSW and the Central Coast....................................................9 Figure 3: Change in institution attendance, 1986-1996 .............................................14 Figure 4: Age left school ............................................................................................15 Figure 5: Labour force participation ...........................................................................16 Figure 6: Monthly unemployment rate........................................................................17 Figure 7: Employment in the Central Coast ..............................................................18 Figure 8: Unemployment Rate for 15-19 year olds ....................................................30 Figure 9: Employment by industry for 15-19 year olds, 1996.....................................31 Figure 10: Employment by industry for 20-24 year olds, 1996...................................31 Figure 11: School leavers destinations by region and gender, 1996 .........................48

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List of maps Map 1: Population concentration of 15-19 year olds in the Central Coast, 1996 ....106 Map 2: Population concentration of 15-19 year olds in Gosford, 1996 ....................107 Map 3: Population concentration of 15-19 year olds in Wyong, 1996......................108 Map 4: Population concentration of 20-24 year olds in the Central Coast, 1996 .....109 Map 5: Areas of socio-economic disadvantage in the Central Coast, 1996.............110 Map 6: Location of Government High Schools in the Central Coast, 2001..............111 Map 7: Location of Non-government High Schools in the Central Coast, 2001.......113 Map 8: Location of other education providers on the Central Coast, 2001 ..............114 Map 9: Location of Job Network members, 2001.....................................................115 Map 10: Location of Employment Placement service providers, 2001 ...................117 Map 11: Location of Training and Development service providers, 2001 ................119

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Executive summary • There seems to be a distinct socio-economic division in the Region, with Wyong

disadvantaged relative to Gosford on a number of measures. • The population of the Central Coast has grown more rapidly that that of NSW

over the period 1986 to 2000. Population growth in Wyong has exceeded that of Gosford. While population growth has been more rapid in the older age categories (45 years of age and above), it is in the 15-19 years age group that the difference in growth rates between the Central Coast and NSW has been most marked. Between 1986 and 2000, the growth rate of the 15-19 years age group in the Central Coast was around eighteen times higher than that of NSW.

• The Central Coast suffers lower rates of labour force participation and higher

rates of unemployment that both NSW and Australia. Wyong tends to have higher levels of unemployment than Gosford. An increasing proportion of employment is part-time or casual, particularly for 15-19 year olds.

• In general, the workforce of the Central Coast is less qualified than that of NSW.

Proportionately more of the Central Coast workforce had skilled vocational qualifications in 1996 compared to NSW, while proportionately fewer had a diploma or higher qualification. This is likely to have changed since the 1996 Census due to the population influx into the Region and the growth of attendance at higher education institutions in the Region.

• The structure of employment by industry and occupation in the Central Coast has

changed over the period 1986 to 2000. There has been a large increase in persons employed as Professionals, Associate Professionals and Managers and Administrators. This has probably occurred due to the influx of people into the Region. The majority of 15-19 year olds in the Region work in the Retail Trade, although for most this seems to be a temporary state as the proportion working in Retail Trade is halved for the 20-24 year old group.

• Around one-third of the Region’s workers travelled outside of the Region to work

in 1996. Almost 20 per cent of 15-19 year olds travelled outside of the region to work in 1996. This may reflect the occupational preferences of those travelling, or the failure of the Region to produce sufficient jobs.

• Information on education outcomes in the Region is limited. The evidence

available suggests that school retention rates have increased and are now close to the NSW average. Post-school destination data appears to show a high proportion of school leavers cannot be contacted.

• There have been large increases in Vocational Education and Training

participation by students and anecdotal evidence suggests that this is proving beneficial for those participants.

• The growth of educational facilities has increased participation in tertiary

education. Over one-third of students surveyed by the HVRF intend to pursue tertiary studies after completing high school.

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• There are a number of transitional and pathways services available to young people in the Region. The small amount of evidence available suggests that there exists an excess demand for a number of these services. These services rest on a funding model that may not be appropriate to ensure their effective delivery. Service providers have identified a number of barriers to the effective delivery, including the lack of coordination between services providers and the competitive nature of the service provider environment.

• A review of social issues in the Region shows that Wyong suffers from higher

youth crime rates than Gosford. The lack of cost-effective public transport is also highlighted as an impediment to the effective participation of young people.

• The HVRF survey of Central Coast students found that around 70 per cent of

respondents intended to complete Year 12, while around 20 per cent were undecided. The largest proportion of students intended to pursue tertiary studies upon leaving school while around 10 per cent did not know what they wanted to do. Most respondents felt that it would be difficult to obtain employment upon leaving school. Students were less aware of the transitional programs available to them than of welfare programs. There were some significant differences in responses between students in Gosford and Wyong and students from government and independent schools. The results generally suggest that a pro-active career advice program would be beneficial to students.

• The HVRF survey of Central Coast businesses found that small businesses

(between 1-10 employees), which make up around 90 per cent of all businesses in the Region, are least likely to employ young people. Business felt that a combination of attitudinal improvements and better formal qualifications would increase the employability of young people.

• There are a number of programs/strategies that are already established in the

Region. These include the Youth Action Project, the Central Coast Moving Forward Strategy, the Central Coast Transport Forum and the Jigsaw Project. The Youth Commitment should seek to integrate with existing programs where possible to gain additional expertise and to take advantage of possible conduits for action. The areas where the Youth Commitment can (or will) be the primary driver for change include employment and pathways service provision, training service provision, VET service provision, career advice programs, business engagement and data collation.

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Recommendations The recommendations that have been made throughout this report are to be taken as guides only. Participants in the Youth Commitment process are encouraged to put forward solutions that they consider useful in the light of the problems in the Region. Extensive consultation with interest groups needs to be conducted in order to reach actions that are likely to be successfully adopted. In developing strategies, the Youth Commitment Steering Committee must be mindful of what practical solutions it can implement and what is outside of its influence. In some cases the solution to particular problems may lay in improving existing structures and relationship between service providers. In other cases, it may simply be the case that more funding is required. While no possible solution should be overlooked, it is likely that those involving funding will be much more difficult to realise. Recommendation 1: Findings of the Youth Action Project should be incorporated into the Central Coast Youth Commitment strategy. Recommendation 2: A more detailed analysis of school data is required, particularly enrolment data. An analysis of the rate of growth in enrolments compared to the rate of growth in the population in the various regions would provide a useful measure of the pressure on education resources. Recommendation 3: As school retention is a key performance indicator for the Youth Commitment, some mechanism should be agreed upon to allow data to be made available. This might include releasing retention data in an alternative form to a basic percentage of students (such as showing the percentage change between years or relative to some base year). Data should also be released at a level which accounts for performance differences within the Region so that programs may be targeted geographically. Recommendation 4: Establish a mechanism for collecting data on the destination of 15-19 olds who withdraw from TAFE. Recommendation 5: Establish a mechanism for collecting data on the destination of 15-19 olds who withdraw from university. Recommendation 6: Data collected for Vocational Education and Training (VET) should be consistent with current ABS statistical formats and industry definitions to allow comparison of data. Recommendation 7: Growth industries should be targeted to participate in VET as these are where future employment possibilities lie.

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Recommendation 8: The provision of VET placement services by a private provider after 2002 should be finalised as a matter of priority, particularly if an increasing number of schools are using a private provider for placement services. The relationship between the schools, the VET placement service provider and participating businesses needs to be stable to ensure cohesion. For this reason, provider contracts should have a reasonably long duration. It may be possible for a number of providers to exist, each specialising in proving VET services in particular industries, although high fixed costs may limit the scope for such a model. Recommendation 9: Consolidate information on private VET and VOC providers. This should be done centrally, either by NSW DET or alternatively by the main VET service provider (currently Youth Connections). Recommendation 10: A permanent destination data collection program should be established. The high proportion of persons who could not be contacted through the current tracking programs could reduce the effectiveness of any transition programs established under the Youth Commitment and this problem should be afforded particular attention. There needs to be a commitment by government agencies to assist in tracking persons, particularly those that come in regular contact with disconnected people (such as Centrelink). Ideally, the establishment of such a program should not be tied to funding, as this would place it under financial constraints. Alternatively, a permanent funding source should be found. The program should aim to gather data from all students who leave compulsory education. However, given funding constraints, a sample survey would possibly be sufficient. Recommendation 11: Investigate the possibilities of improving destination data by combining the post-school tracking elements in the Jobs Pathways Program (JPP) and Triple C programs. Consideration should be given to the provision of permanent funding for the Triple C program as it is the primary source of destination data for the Region. Recommendation 12: The JPP requires a long-term arrangement to ensure it’s effective operation. A framework that embeds the relationship between schools, JPP and Triple C service providers should be formalised so that disruption is minimised if new/other suppliers are contracted to supply these services. Recommendation 13: As with the JPP, the Job Placement, Employment and Training (JPET) program should be conducted on the basis of long-term funding arrangements to provide service suppliers with a solid foundation for developing relationships with clients and other service providers. Recommendation 14: Review existing strategies that educate young people about the labour market, their options and responsibilities.

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Recommendation 15: The Youth Commitment should seek to engage any existing structures developed through the Youth Action Plan and the Jigsaw Project. Recommendation 16: To the extent possible, the Youth Commitment should engage existing structures dealing with health, crime and transport issues in the Region. Transport issues should be analysed in more detail. The currently exists a Central Coast Transport Forum which is investigating the issue of transport in the Region more generally. Recommendation 17: Promote links with the Central Coast Moving Forward Strategy structures in developing and implementing a Youth Commitment. Recommendation 18: Engage employers or employer groups (including the Chamber of Commerce) to develop a plan to improve young peoples work experience and skills, in line with those required in the Region, and to promote on-the-job training. This may be within the existing VET scheme, although non-students will require some formal mechanism.

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1 Introduction and objectives The Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) has been engaged by the Central Coast Youth Commitment Forum (CCYCF) to conduct a ‘environment scan’ of the social, economic, education and employment situation for young people on the Central Coast of New South Wales (NSW). The scan will be used to develop a Youth Commitment for the Region, which will identify areas where a more cohesive and concentrated effort by government, business and the community will benefit young people at risk of becoming economically and socially segregated through their circumstances, especially early school leavers. The idea of a Youth Commitment was first proposed in 1999. As proposed, a Youth Commitment would identify and implement programs to assist young people’s transition to adulthood and a working life. Such programs were deemed necessary in the light of growing evidence that the social, institutional and economic changes that had occurred over the previous decades had raised barriers to young people attaining a satisfactory education and gainful employment. The scan provides the opportunity to assess the needs of young people with respect to achieving improved education, training and employment outcomes. By identifying possible problems that young people face in successfully making the transition from school to employment, further education or training, the scan will assist the CCYCF to: • describe ways of strengthening existing services to assist young people, and • identify an agenda for further planning and action.

1.1 Requirements of the brief In the Environment Scan Outline provided to the HVRF, a number of key information requirements were identified. These requirements can be summarized as follows:

• Demographic analysis. Provide information and analysis of the Region’s population (size, age structure, ethnicity, and employment and education status) to present a picture of the social and economic issues facing a region.

• Youth participation. Provide information on young people’s participation in

compulsory and post-compulsory education and training in the Region, as well as information on their labour market status and economic situation.

• Education patterns and networks. Provide information on education and

training participation and the service providers in the Region. Programs and services providing early experience in work and training should be identified.

• Employment patterns and assistance pathways. Provide information on

youth employment, industry and occupation trends, labour market programs and services and the key agencies involved in the labour market in the Region.


• Youth aspirations. Provide information on young people’s knowledge of programs and services to assist them with education, training and employment issues

• Community services. Profile the economic and social situation for youth in

the Region (housing, drugs, health, recreation, crime, and transport) and outline the services and programs available in the region.

This report summarises the findings of the scan. The report focuses on a number of areas where information has been successfully obtained: • Demographic information collected through the Census and other sources. • Data from surveys of Central Coast high school students and Central Coast

businesses conducted by the HVRF1. • Education, training and labour market information. • An overview of social issues, including health and justice information. • Information on existing programs to assist young people on the Central Coast. • Information and anecdotal evidence from various service providers on the Central

Coast.

1.2 Scope of the report The area covered by the scan is the Central Coast Region of NSW. The Central Coast lies midway between the cities of Sydney and Newcastle on the New South Wales (NSW) coast. It encompasses around 30 kilometres of coastline stretching from Broken Bay in the south to the southern edge of Lake Macquarie in the north and out to the Dooralong and Yarramalong Valleys in the west. The Central Coast covers a total area of 1,854 square kilometres. The Region incorporates Gosford and Wyong Local Government Areas (LGAs). However, the Central Coast School District does not match the LGA boundaries, with the northern part of Wyong included in by the Lake Macquarie School District. This has hindered attempts to collect data for some aspects of the report. The main focus group of the scan is persons aged 15-19 years. This age bracket captures the majority of persons in transition from compulsory schooling to further and alternative education, training or employment. This period of transition is thought of as a high-risk period for young people, a period where disconnection from normal pathways is most likely to occur, with long-term repercussions. However, evidence accumulated in conducting this scan suggests that assistance through a Youth Commitment should not be limited to the 15-19 years age group. Young adults in their early 20’s are likely to experience disconnection from normal pathways, as evidenced by the high drop-out rate from tertiary education. People in this age group, particularly those without formal qualifications, experience age discrimination in competing for jobs (and apprenticeships and traineeships) with younger (and lower waged) persons. 1 The HVRF wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Youth Connections, and in particular Ms Kerrie Jackson, in conducting the student survey.


Where data is available the scan focuses on other age groups, namely 10-14 year olds and 20-24 year olds. It is likely that these groups provide an insight into both the likely future demands upon the system (10-14 year olds) and the success or otherwise that the system has had in dealing with young people in the past (20-24 year olds).

1.3 Data collection and information sources A number of data collection methods were used to gather information for the scan. These include surveys of high school students, service providers and Central Coast businesses; a desktop analysis gathering data from existing publicly available sources (notably Census data), and, correspondence with relevant bodies and government agencies. A frequently used source of data is the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census and Labour Force Surveys. Care must be taken when using Labour Force Surveys data in conjunction with Census data, particularly if comparisons are being made between data, because the Labour Force Surveys are subject to a degree of sampling error that makes them less accurate than the Census statistics. The same is true for the population statistics, whereby the most recent population figure used in the report (June 2000) is taken from an estimate rather than Census data. In gathering the data, three issues emerged relating to data collection and interpretation. Irregular and incomplete data has made it difficult to provide decisive comment and recommendations. There has been some difficulty obtaining up-to-date information, particularly for the demographic overview. Census data, while being the most detailed data available, is five years out of date. Where possible the Census data has been complemented with more recent information, although this has generally been a difficult exercise because of the paucity of information at the Central Coast level. The instigation of competitive tendering for some government services has made it difficult to obtain information from service providers and government bodies because such information is commercially confidential. This is most notable for the Job Network sector, which is the largest provider of services to assist people obtain employment or move into training. Finally, the coverage of the data did not always correspond to the Region under study. In the case of education data, the school district boundaries did not equate with those for the LGAs. This impeded the collection of data for schools in the Region. Publicly available data on government programs generally was not broken down to the LGA level, and in many cases the Central Coast was included as part of the Sydney district (for example, Job Network data).

1.3.1 Surveys A total of 4,763 Year 9, 10 and 11 students from 18 government and non-government high schools were surveyed. The survey sought information on students’ intentions to complete Year 10 and Year 12, their desired education and career paths, their perceptions of the labour market, and their knowledge of various labour market and


welfare programs. Three high schools in the Wyong LGA (Lake Munmorah, Gorokan and Northlakes) did not participate in the survey as they are under the auspices of the Lake Macquarie School District. The size of the survey ensures that the information collected is an accurate representation of students in the Region. The data from the survey is presented in Chapter 7. The HVRF surveys Central Coast businesses twice a year to collect information about economic conditions in the Region. In the September 2001 survey, employers were asked questions about young employees and their perception about young people as employees. The data from the survey is presented in Chapter 8. An attempt was made to collect information about the education, employment and training services available to young people in the Region. Providers of Vocational Education and Training (VET) services, Job Network services and Job Placement, Employment and Training (JPET) services were contacted and sent a questionnaire. To increase the response rate, the questionnaire was designed as a fax-back survey. A low response rate was achieved and subsequently only a small amount of information was obtained, although some anecdotal information provided by the respondents was useful. In part, the low response rate was the result of the commercially confidential nature of the information requested. It is also likely that the survey was not relevant to some of the organisations contacted, not being providers of the services identified. Additionally, it is possible that not all service providers were identified and subsequently did not receive a questionnaire.

1.3.2 Desktop data collection The main source of information for the demographic analysis is data from the 1986, 1991 and 1996 Census, which was obtained from the ABS Cdata96 database. This was used to provide a socio-economic profile of the Central Coast. Other data was obtained from various publications and electronic sources (such as the Internet). Attempts to access the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ‘Your Place’ database were unsuccessful.

1.3.3 Personal correspondence A substantial proportion of data was sourced through personal correspondence with various service providers, organisations and government bodies. The major groups contacted included: • Youth service providers identified from lists obtained through Gosford and Wyong

Councils. • Program providers who were identified as providing services relating to school

and jobs pathways. • Commonwealth and State Government departments. Varying degrees of success were achieved in obtaining information from service providers. Confidentiality tended to restrict access to various education data and Commonwealth programs data. A list of the persons contacted can be found in Appendix 1.


1.3.4 Concurrent studies The Department of Community Services is conducting a study of youth services on the Central Coast. This is known as the Youth Action Project. The study aims to develop strategies to improve interagency collaboration in the provision of youth services. Phase two of this study, in which the services, programs and policies on human services infrastructure are analysed, has recently been completed. However, this information is not yet publicly available. After corresponding with the report’s author, it is considered inappropriate to provide an extensive analysis of the youth services on the Central Coast covered by the Youth Action Project, as this would duplicate work already undertaken. However, some information has been provided as has anecdotal evidence from various service providers. It should be noted that the Youth Action Project does not cover a number of issues that the Youth Commitment is concerned with, notably, employment. Recommendation 1: Findings of the Youth Action Project should be incorporated into the Central Coast Youth Commitment strategy.

1.3.5 Other data An extensive electronic mapping exercise was conducted for this report. This provides visual detail of various population and service provider data. The aim is to provide an understanding of where, geographically, problems may exist in order to be able to better target solutions. For example, by identifying concentrations of youth populations in the Region or distinct areas of socio-economic disadvantage the report can provide a guide to the future establishment of youth services.


2 Demographic profile of the Central Coast

2.1 Population profile

2.1.1 Composition and growth As shown in Table 1, an estimated 292,584 people resided in the Central Coast Region of NSW at 30 June 2000. Of that total, 160,167 (55%) lived in the Gosford LGA and 132,417 (45%) lived in the Wyong LGA. At June 2000, the population of the Central Coast made up around 4.5 per cent of the total population of New South Wales (NSW), estimated to be 6,463,455 people. Table 1: Population estimates, June 2000

Gosford Wyong Central Coast NSW Age groups No. No. No. % No. %

0-14 years 34,019 29,115 63,134 21.6 1,316,711 20.4 15-19 years 10,563 8,418 18,981 6.5 444,919 6.9 20-24 years 8,699 6,882 15,581 5.3 447,365 6.9 25-44 years 43,961 36,072 80,033 27.4 1,967,090 30.4 45-64 years 35,610 28,220 63,830 21.8 1,458,563 22.6 65 years or more 27,315 23,710 51,025 17.4 828,807 12.8 Total 160,167 132,417 292,584 100 6,463,455 100

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Estimated Resident Population: Population by Age and Sex, NSW (Cat. No. 3235.1)

Table 1 shows the proportion of the Central Coast and NSW population in each age category. The Central Coast has a higher proportion of its population in the 0-14 age group than does NSW (21.6% compared to 20.4%). There is also a higher proportion of people aged 65 or more in the Central Coast (17.4%) than for NSW (12.8%). The Central Coast has a slightly smaller proportion of 15-19 year olds (6.5%) than does NSW (6.9%). Figure 1 presents a more detailed breakdown of the proportion of population in each five year age cohort for the Central Coast, NSW and Australia in 1996. It shows that, compared to both NSW and Australia, the Central Coast has a larger proportion of young persons (0-14 years of age) and older persons (60-plus) but a smaller proportion of 15-39 year olds.


Figure 1: Age cohort as a percentage of the population, 1996

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 Table 2 shows population growth in the various regions. Between 1986 and 2000, the population of the Central Coast increased at a higher rate (52.7%) than that of NSW (19.7%). The population in Wyong grew at a faster rate than Gosford over the same period (60.8% compared to 46.6%). Since 1996, the Central Coast has continued to experience a higher rate of population growth (12.2%) than NSW (7.0%). Table 2: Population growth, 1986-2000

Total Population Gosford

No.

Wyong

No.

Central Coast

No.

NSW

No. 1986 109,278 82,368 191,646 5,401,881 1991 128,956 100,468 229,424 5,732,032 1996 144,840 115,999 260,839 6,038,696 2000 160,167 132,417 292,584 6,463,455 1986 – 2000 % change 46.6 60.8 52.7 19.7 1996 – 2000 % change 10.6 14.2 12.2 7.0 Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Estimated Resident Population: Population by Age and Sex, NSW (Cat. No. 3235.1)

Table 3 shows the population growth for 15-19 and 20--24 year olds. The 15-19 year age group in the Central Coast experienced a higher rate of growth than NSW over the period 1986-2000 (49.9% compared to 2.7%). Growth in the 20-24 year age group was also higher in the Region (40.7%) than in NSW (4.2%) over the period. For both age groups, the rate of growth in Wyong was higher than in Gosford.

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

0-4 5_9

10_1

415

-1920

-2425

-2930

-3435

-3940

-4445

-4950

-5455

-5960

-6465

-6970

-7475

-7980

-8485

-89 90+

Age cohort

% CC1996NSW1996Aust1996


Table 3: Population growth for 15-19 and 20-24 year olds, 1986-2000

Population Gosford

No.

Wyong

No.

Central Coast

No.

NSW

No. 15-19 Years 1986 7,443 5,221 12,664 433,032 1991 8,972 6,424 15,396 434,779 1996 9,066 6,848 15,914 412,714 2000 10,563 8,418 18,981 444,919 1986 – 2000 % change

41.9 61.2 49.9 2.7

1996 – 2000 % change

16.5 22.9 19.3 7.8

20-24 Years 1986 6,319 4,752 11,071 429,327 1991 7,261 5,508 12,769 438,519 1996 8,095 6,309 14,404 435,711 2000 8,699 6,882 15,581 447,365 1986 – 2000 % change

37.7 44.8 40.7 4.2

1996 – 2000 % change

7.5 9.1 8.2 2.7

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Estimated Resident Population: Population by Age and Sex, NSW (Cat. No. 3235.1)

Figure 2 presents the above population information diagrammatically and in more detail. It shows the proportion of the population in each age group (columns, left axis) and the rate of growth in each age group over the 1986 to 2000 period (lines, right axis). The columns show that, in 2000, the Central Coast had a higher proportion of 0-14 year olds and 65 plus year olds than NSW. For all other age groups the Central Coast had a lower proportion than NSW. The lines show that the population of the Central Coast has been increasing at a rate more than more than twice that of NSW. Population growth on the Central Coast has outstripped that of NSW in all age categories. While the highest rates of population growth on the Central Coast were in the 24-44 years, the 45-64 years and the 65-plus years age groups, the relative growth in the youth population in the Region and the State has been even more marked, as evidenced by the distance between the lines. The growth of the 15-19 years age group in the Central Coast since 1986 has been around eighteen times higher than for NSW.


Figure 2: Population of NSW and the Central Coast

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96


Population projections for the Region and NSW are shown in Table 4. By 2019, the Central Coast is expected to have a population of some 400,065 people, accounting for around 5.2 per cent of the NSW population. It is predicted that the population of Wyong will be almost equivalent in size to that of Gosford by the end of the projection period. Table 4: Population projections

Year Wyong No.

Gosford No.

Central Coast No.

NSW No.

2001 163,453 137,079 300,532 6,564,417 2004 170,590 147,757 318,347 6,771,742 2009 181,659 165,013 346,672 7,102,962 2014 192,042 181,848 373,890 7,419,980 2019 201,856 198,209 400,065 7,722,652 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional Profiles NSW 2001. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Population Projections, 1999 to 2051 (3222.0) Table 5 presents the percentage change in the population projections over the periods shown. The population of the Central Coast will continue to grow at a higher rate than the NSW average, although population growth is expected to slow. Wyong is predicted to have a greater rate of population growth that Gosford.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0-14 years 15-19 years 20-24 years 25-44 years 45-64 years 65 years or more

Age groups

Age

gro

ups

as p

ropo

rtio

n of

tota

l po

pula

tion

(%),

2000

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

Gro

wth

in a

ge g

roup

s, 1

986-

2000

(%)Central Coast%

NSW%Change CC %Change NSW %


Table 5: Percentage change in population projections

Periods Wyong % Change

Gosford % Change

Central Coast % Change

NSW % Change

2001 to 2004 4.4 7.8 5.9 3.2 2004 to 2009 6.5 11.7 8.9 4.9 2009 to 2014 5.7 10.2 7.9 4.5 2014 to 2019 5.1 9.0 7.0 4.1 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional Profiles NSW (Wyong Local Government Area and Gosford Local

Government Area) 2001. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Population Projections, 1999 to 2051 (3222.0)

2.1.2 Ethnicity Table 6 shows the birthplace of Central Coast and NSW residents in 1996. A larger proportion of the population of the Central Coast (83.1%) was born in Australia compared to the population of NSW (72.8%). The next most represented birthplaces on the Central Coast were the United Kingdom (6.5%) and New Zealand (1.6%). Wyong had a slightly larger proportion of Australian born residents. In 1996, around 4.2 per cent of Central Coast residents were born in a non-English speaking country. Table 6: Resident’s country of birth, 1996

Birthplace Gosford %

Wyong %

Central Coast %

NSW %

Australia 82.1 84.3 83.1 72.8 United Kingdom 7.0 5.9 6.5 4.8 New Zealand 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 Italy 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.1 China 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.1 Vietnam 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 Elsewhere overseas 8.9 7.6 8.0 17.0 Overseas visitor 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.7

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 Indigenous persons accounted for 1.3 per cent of the Central Coast population in 1996, compared to 1.7 per cent for NSW. The indigenous population in the Region was relatively young compared to the general population, with around 60 per cent of the indigenous population in 1996 under 25 years of age and around 30 per cent under the age of 10.

2.1.3 Household profile Table 7 presents a profile of Central Coast and NSW households in 1996. The majority of people in the Central Coast were members of a couple family with children (48.9%), a slightly lower proportion than was recorded for NSW (51.5%). The Region had a higher proportion of people that were members of couple families without children (21.0%), one-parent families (11.5%) and lone person households (9.1%) than NSW. Wyong had a higher proportion of couples without children, one-parent families and lone person households than Gosford.


Table 7: Household profile, 1996

Household Profile Gosford %

Wyong %

Central Coast %

NSW %

Couple family with children 50.0 47.4 48.9 51.5 Couple family without children 20.6 21.5 21.0 17.5 One parent family 10.8 12.5 11.5 10.1 Group household 2.5 2.4 2.5 3.3 Lone person 8.9 9.5 9.1 7.9

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 Table 8 shows the change in household profile over time. There was a rapid growth in couple families with children on the Central Coast (6.9% between 1991 and 1996) compared to NSW (-1.3% between 1991 and 1996). One-parent families also increased, more so in the Central Coast than NSW. The total number of households has grown by more in the Central Coast than in NSW, in line with the more rapid relative population growth in the Region. Table 8: Change in household profile, 1986-1996

Central Coast New South Wales Household Profile 1986-1991

% change 1991-1996 % change

1986-1991 % change

1991-1996 % change

Couple family with children 35.7 6.9 20.6 -1.3

Couple family without children -14.8 7.3 -31.6 12.9 One parent family 79.1 33.0 70.3 16.3 Group household 14.5 16.8 15.9 3.5

Lone person household 32.1 22.2 18.6 21.7 TOTAL 15.8 12.1 3.1 6.0

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 Table 9 indicates private dwelling tenure in 1996. The Central Coast had a higher rate of home ownership (44.5% of households owned their home) than did NSW (42.5%), possibly reflecting the higher proportion of older persons in the area. A higher proportion of households in the Central Coast had a mortgage (26.3%) compared to NSW (22.7%), possibly reflecting a better level of home affordability in the Region.


Table 9: Private dwelling tenure by region, 1996 Private dwelling

type Gosford

% Wyong

% Central Coast

% NSW

% Fully owned 44.2 44.8 44.5 42.5 Being purchased 27.1 25.3 26.3 22.7 Rented: Government Housing Authority

3.8 3.8 3.8 5.4

Rented: Other 19.7 20.4 20.0 23.0 Rented: Not stated 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Rented: Total 23.7 24.3 24.0 28.6 Other 5.1 5.6 5.3 6.2 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

2.1.4 Implications of population profile The Central Coast has experienced much higher population growth during the past decade than has NSW. While the population of older persons on the Central Coast has grown at the highest rate, it is the growth of young persons that has been more marked relative to NSW. This sits well with the anecdotal evidence collected during the preparation of this report, whereby a number of youth service providers have claimed that there has been a marked increase in demand for their services, placing pressure on existing resources. With the general rapid population growth in the Region, it may be the case that groups are competing for scarce resources. A concern is that the needs of the rapidly growing senior population, who are likely to yield more political influence, may detract from those of young people. One strategy to prevent this problem is to engage seniors groups and relevant government bodies in order to encourage participation in youth issues and the Youth Commitment more specifically. Rapid population growth in the Region is expected to continue, spurred by relatively cheap housing compared to Sydney2 and the movement to the Region of retirees. Cheap housing may induce young families to migrate to the Region, which the evidence suggests is happening already. This will result in growing numbers of young people over the next two decades. Cheap housing is likely to be one reasons for the higher level of home ownership and purchase. This is likely to lead to a more stable population, particularly as people get older. The Central Coast tends to have a lower proportion of its population between the ages of 15 and 39. This possibly reflects the movement out of the Region by people of working age seeking employment opportunities elsewhere, which in turn suggests that the Central Coast workforce is mobile and/or that the Region does not create sufficient employment opportunities for its residents. It is difficult to speculate on the impact that the low level of ethnic mix in the Central Coast, relative to NSW, has on the education and employment status of the population. New migrants generally face greater difficulties in obtaining employment. However, migrants generally are not a ‘drain’ on the jobs market. Young migrants are likely to face numerous barriers in school, including language skills and discrimination.

2 The Real Estate Institute of NSW Property Market View (June, 2000) indicated that the median house price for the Sydney metropolitan area was $315,000 for the June quarter 2000 while Gosford recorded a median house price of $239,500 and $171,000 for Wyong.


One of the important considerations in the Region is the difference between Gosford and Wyong LGAs. The evidence shows that Wyong’s population had been growing more rapidly than Gosford’s. Rapid population growth is likely to augment the problems caused by existing socio-economic disadvantage within (and between) the LGAs. Policies and programs should be mindful of such factors.

2.2 Education profile

2.2.1 Qualification attainment Table 10 shows educational qualifications obtained by the population of the Central Coast compared to NSW, as at 1996. The Central Coast had a lower proportion of persons with Bachelor and higher degrees and a higher proportion of persons with skilled vocational qualifications. This is likely to reflect the industrial base in the Region, the older age structure relative to NSW and the lack of opportunities in the past to undertake tertiary education. Since 1986, however, increasing numbers of the Central Coast population have acquired qualifications. This could reflect the movement to the Region of qualified persons but is also likely to be indicative of increasing enrolments in tertiary education, partly driven by the establishment of facilities in the Region. Table 10: Qualifications of persons aged 15 and over by region, 1986-1996

Higher degree Gosford %

Wyong %

Central Coast %

NSW %

1986 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.6 1991 0.5 0.2 0.4 1.1 1996 0.9 0.4 0.6 1.6 Bachelor degree 1986 2.3 1.1 1.8 3.8 1991 3.8 2.1 3.1 5.8 1996 5.4 2.9 4.3 8.0 Undergraduate & Associate Diploma 1986 3.2 2.3 2.8 3.3 1991 5.5 3.7 4.7 5.2 1996 6.8 4.8 5.9 6.5 Skilled vocational qualification 1986 11.8 12.6 12.2 9.9 1991 12.7 13.2 12.9 10.7 1996 13.0 13.7 13.3 10.9 Basic vocational qualification 1986 10.2 7.4 9.0 9.4 1991 4.3 3.4 3.9 3.9 1996 3.6 2.9 3.3 3.2 Qualification – not applicable 1986 58.1 61.6 59.6 59.0 1991 58.3 62.4 60.1 58.9 1996 55.9 61.4 58.3 55.7 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96


2.2.2 Educational institution attendance The growth in the number of persons on the Central Coast with formal qualifications is reflected in the attendance at educational institutions. Figure 3 compares the growth in attendance at various education and training institutions over the period 1986-1996. The growth in attendance on the Central Coast, particularly for non-compulsory education institutions (technical and tertiary), has far outweighed that in NSW. For example, attendance at tertiary institutions by Central Coast residents grew by almost 190 per cent over the period 1986-1996, compared to an increase of around 80 per cent for NSW. In part, this will reflect the development of tertiary facilities at Ourimbah, although overall, the growth in attendance is a reflection of the population growth rate in the Region.

Figure 3: Change in institution attendance, 1986-1996

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Infants/Primary Secondary Technical or other Tertiary

%

Central Coast%NSW%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

2.2.3 Age left school Figure 4 shows the age at which people left school in the Central Coast compared to NSW. It indicates that the Central Coast had a much higher proportion of early school leavers, with 63.9 per cent leaving at age 16 or younger compared to 51.8 per cent in NSW. This could be indicative of the relatively older population on the Central Coast and may not reflect present schooling preferences.


Figure 4: Age left school

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

16 years and under 17 years and over

Prop

ortio

n of

pop

ulat

ion

who

hav

e le

ft sc

hool

%

Age left school 1996 Central Coast

Age left school 1996 NSW

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

2.3 Labour force profile

2.3.1 Unemployment and labour force participation Figures 5 and 6 present time series data on the labour force participation rate and the unemployment rate respectively for the Central Coast over time. Figure 5 shows that labour force participation on the Central Coast has been consistently lower than for either NSW or Australia. In the Region, participation generally falls during a slowing in economic activity, the falls being more marked than in either NSW or Australia. However, the evidence is suggestive of the fact that there are structural reasons why Central Coast persons between the ages of 15 and 64 are failing to participate in the labour market. Reasons could include the large number of early retirees, family responsibilities requiring persons to stay home or a larger than normal discouraged section of the workforce who have given up seeking work.


Figure 5: Labour force participation

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey (1988 to June 1993 data estimated by the HVRF)

Figure 6 shows that the Central Coast generally suffers from higher rates of unemployment than NSW or Australia. This is likely to reflect structural factors impeding persons from obtaining employment. They could include the lack of local industry development (and subsequently, jobs) or a workforce without the appropriate skills for the regional industry base. It may also reflect attitudes of the workforce. Older persons may not actively seek work or may face age discrimination in the job market. Additionally, older people may be semi-retirement and not actively seeking work but must still go through the process of seeking work in order to obtain a government payment. A number of Job Network service providers have suggested that young people in some disadvantaged areas have inherited an attitude of welfare dependency. This is a reasonably simplistic view that may apply in only some cases. The lack of opportunities and the subsequent demoralisation of the individual may provide an explanation for a seemingly poor attitude towards job search.

40.0

45.0

50.0

55.0

60.0

65.0

70.0

Jan-8

8

Jan-8

9

Jan-9

0

Jan-9

1

Jan-9

2

Jan-9

3

Jan-9

4

Jan-9

5

Jan-9

6

Jan-9

7

Jan-9

8

Jan-9

9

Jan-0

0

Jan-0

1

Jan-0

2

%

Central CoastNSWAustralia


Figure 6: Monthly unemployment rate

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey

Table 11 shows the level of unemployment in Wyong, Gosford and NSW. It shows that Wyong has traditionally suffered greater numbers of unemployed and a higher rate of unemployment than Gosford, despite having a smaller labour force. The rate of unemployment in Gosford has generally been closer to the rate in NSW in the years shown. Table 11: Unemployment and labour force

Status Wyong Gosford NSW Labour force (No.) 1986 28,881 43,468 2,465,362 1991 38,698 55,894 2,702,680 1996 45,344 62,887 2,806,544 Unemployment (No.) 1986 4,690 4,693 248,238 1991 5,639 5,800 303,764 1996 5,644 5,510 247,669 Unemployment rate (%) 1986 16.2 10.8 10.1 1991 14.6 10.4 11.2 1996 12.4 8.8 8.8 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 Table 12 provides an estimate of long-term unemployment. Sixty three per cent of New Start Allowance or Youth Allowance recipients on the Central Coast had been receiving the allowance for more than one year. This figure is similar to that for NSW (64%). There are no major disparities between the Central Coast and NSW if age groups are considered.

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

Jan-8

8

Jan-8

9

Jan-9

0

Jan-9

1

Jan-9

2

Jan-9

3

Jan-9

4

Jan-9

5

Jan-9

6

Jan-9

7

Jan-9

8

Jan-9

9

Jan-0

0

Jan-0

1

Jan-0

2

%

Central CoastNSWAustralia


Table 12: Total New Start and Youth Allowance recipients of at least 12

months duration, August 2000

No. % of Total No. % of

Total No. % of Total No. % of

Total

15-19 20-24 25-54 55+

Total No.

Total in LTU %

Central Coast 342 7% 872 18% 3,080 66% 460 10% 4,753 63% NSW 6,489 6% 17,711 18% 68,070 67% 8,184 8% 100,455 64% Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (personal correspondence)

2.3.2 Employment Employment in the Central Coast is represented in Figure 7. It shows that both full-time and part-time/casual employment has increased since 1987. Over time, part-time employment has become a slightly higher proportion of total employment, although it has tended to fluctuate. This contrast with employment of 15-19 year olds, in which part-time employment grew from around 30 per cent to 60 per cent of total employment (see Section 3.1.2).

Figure 7: Employment in the Central Coast

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Sep-87Sep-88

Sep-89Sep-90

Sep-91Sep-92

Sep-93Sep-94

Sep-95Sep-96

Sep-97Sep-98

Sep-99Sep-00

Sep-01

Tota

l Em

ploy

men

t ('0

00)

Part-time/Casual ('000)Full-time ('000)

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey The Central Coast experienced greater employment growth than NSW over the period 1986-1996, as shown by Table 13. Between 1986 and 1996 the number of employed persons on the Central Coast grew by around 54 per cent compared to 15 per cent for NSW.


In 1996, NSW had a higher proportion of the workforce in full-time employment (62.7%) than the Central Coast (58.2%), despite that fact that the growth in full-time employment in the Central Coast was higher than NSW over the previous decade (37.9% compared to 4.8%). Over the same period there was a large increase in part-time employment. The number of persons of working age who were not in the labour force increased over the period, more so on the Central Coast (24.5%) than for NSW (12.5%). Total employment for 15-19 year olds increased on the Central Coast (38.0%) while it fell in NSW (-7.5%) over 1986-1996. However, the number of 15-19 year olds holding full-time employment fell both in the Central Coast (-30.0%) and NSW (-49.7%). In contrast, the numbers holding part-time positions grew markedly. The surge in part-time employment in the Central Coast ensured that the Region experienced jobs growth in the youth labour market. Table 13: Labour force status

Central Coast NSW Status 1996 Total

%

86-96 Total

%Change

86-96 15-19 years %Change

1996 Total

%

86-96 Total

%Change

86-96 15-19 years %Change

Employed Full-time(a) 58.2 37.9 -30.0 62.7 4.8 -49.7 Employed Part-time 29.6 103.9 220.8 26.4 53.8 106.0 Employed Not stated(b) 1.9 28.2 48.8 2.0 2.3 -0.1 Total Employed 89.7 54.2 38.0 91.2 15.4 -7.5 Unemployed looking for: Full-time work

8.2 17.0 -12.5 6.9 -2.0 -37.9

Unemployed looking for: Part-time work

2.1 26.9 98.0 1.9 6.5 23.4

Total Unemployed 10.3 18.9 3.2 8.8 -0.2 -26.4 Labour force 100.0 49.6 29.0 100.0 13.8 -11.7 Not in the labour force 24.5 21.4 12.5 1.6 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 The change in labour force status reflects some of the underlying population trends, particularly the rapid growth in the Central Coast population. Not only have the number of people increased, but also most of these people are likely to have moved while already holding a full-time job, improving the average employment position of the Region. Additionally, the development of a tertiary education campus at Ourimbah may have provided the opportunity for young people to pursue further education rather than try and find work, hence the growth in numbers of 15-19 year olds not in the labour force.

2.3.3 Employment by industry and occupation Table 4 shows the level of employment (and changes overtime) by industry in 1996 for the Central Coast and NSW. Retail trade (16.5%), manufacturing (11.7%), health and community services (11.0%) and property and business services were the main employers on the Central Coast, with similar patterns of employment for NSW. Employment growth on the Central Coast took place primarily in property and business services (52.6%), health and community services (25.0%), wholesale trade (21.3%) and accommodation, cafes and restaurants (25.6%).


Table 14: Employment by industry Central Coast NSW Industry

1996 %

1986-96 % change

1999-2000

%

1996 %

1986-96 % change

Retail Trade 16.5 2.5 18.8 13.3 0.8 Manufacturing 11.7 1.7 11.2 12.2 -18.7 Health and Community Services 11 25 10.6 9.3 17.7 Construction 9 -4.3 11.1 6.4 1.6 Property and Business Services 8.7 52.6 8.6 10.6 51.4 Education 6 5.3 4.9 6.8 9.7 Wholesale Trade 5.7 21.3 6.4 6.3 5 Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants

4.9 25.6 4.4 5 42.9

Personal and Other Services 4.2 23.5 4.5 3.6 24.1 Transport and Storage 4.1 -24.1 4.2 4.7 -17.5 Finance and Insurance 4.1 -14.6 3.4 4.8 -9.4 Government Administration and Defence

3.9 -26.4 3.9 4.3 -21.8

Communication Services 2.3 -17.9 2.5 2.1 -4.5 Cultural and Recreational Services

2.2 29.4 2.4 2.3 27.8

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 1.4 -39.1 2.3 3.6 -25 Electricity, Gas and Water Supply

1.3 -69 0.9 0.9 -57.1

Non-classifiable economic units 1.2 50 2.3 1.3 30 Mining 0.5 -61.5 0 0.8 -38.5 Not stated 1.5 -37.5 - 1.7 -32.0 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cdata96

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey The data for 1999-2000 are from the ABS Labour Force Survey. While these figures are based upon a yearly average and are subject to sampling errors, they show that Construction and Retail Trade constitutes a higher proportion of employment in the Region than during 1996. Table 15 shows employment growth by occupation for the period 1986-1996. The Central Coast had less of its labour force in managers and administrators and professional occupations than NSW, although there has been higher employment growth in these occupations on the Central Coast since 1986. The Central Coast had a higher proportion of its labour force in tradespersons and related workers, elementary clerical, sales and service workers and labourers and related occupations. Over the period 1986-1996, the Central Coast experienced growth in all major occupational groups, but most notably in intermediate clerical, sales and service workers (129.1%) and associate professionals (117.3%). A larger proportion of the workforce in Wyong works in ‘blue collar’ occupations than does the Gosford workforce. Data from the ABS Labour Force Survey for 2000 shows that the proportion of the workforce in professional occupations has increased since 1996.


Table 15: Employment by occupation Central Coast NSW Occupation

1996 %

1986-96 % change

2000 %

1996 %

1986-96 % change

Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Service Workers

16.6 129.1 18.2 16.2 61.3

Tradespersons and Related Workers

14.9 25.1 15.1 12.7 -4.2

Professionals 14.5 81.6 17.1 17.9 41.7 Associate Professionals 11.8 117.3 12.5 11.1 77.1 Elementary Clerical, Sales and Service Workers

10.8 20 10.1 8.8 -14.7

Labourers and Related Workers 9 19 9 8.2 -10.1 Intermediate Production and Transport Workers

8.3 34.1 8.3 8.5 -3.7

Managers and Administrators 6.8 96.7 5.5 9.2 26.1 Advanced Clerical and Service Workers

4.9 7.4 4.5 4.8 -27.1

Not stated 1.5 129.6 - 1.7 76.9 Inadequately described 0.8 -1.2 - 0.9 -31.8 Total 100 54.2 100 100 15.4 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cdata96 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey

2.3.4 Employment and business size Table 16 presents data on the number of businesses on the Central Coast by industry and number of employees. In 1998 there were 10,937 business locations operating in the Central Coast. The majority of businesses employed less than five people (72.2%). Only 1.9 per cent of businesses employed 50 or more people. Business size is important, as it is more likely that large businesses can take on apprentices or trainees and offer training. Large businesses are also more likely to have identifiable career paths within the organisation. Work conducted by the Central Coast Area Consultative Committee (CCACC) has found that a significant proportion of Central Coast businesses are home based. CCACC estimates based upon business phone inquiries suggest that up to 60% of all the Region’s businesses are home based (CCACC, personal correspondence). This figure is likely to be an overstate given that the lack of in-house expertise would make it more likely that home based businesses would use the CCACC inquiry line. However, this does not detract from the basic proposition that the Region’s economy has a high proportion of home-based businesses and this is likely to affect their employment and training preferences. In particular, home-based businesses may be less likely to put on new employees because they do not have growth ambitions. The survey of the Region’s businesses conducted by the HVRF seems to confirm this belief (see Chapter 8). When asked why they do not currently employ young people around 22 per cent of respondents said that it was because they were too small or were self-employed. Additionally almost 18 per cent said it was because they did not have enough work.


Table 16: Number of Central Coast business locations by employment size, September 1998

No. of employees Business Counts 1998

Central Coast N/A <5 5-9 10-19

20-49

50-99

100+ TOTAL %

No. of locations in each employment range Retailing - 1,370 471 140 47 28 23 2,079 19.0 Construction - 1,825 140 40 11 1 - 2,017 18.5 Property & Business Services - 1,515 224 73 21 5 3 1,841 16.8 Health & Community Services - 612 163 76 28 13 13 905 8.3 Manufacturing - 411 142 72 37 15 19 696 6.4 Wholesale trade - 407 136 29 9 2 1 584 5.3 Personal & Other Services - 380 71 24 11 2 5 493 4.5 Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 214 217 12 7 2 - - 452 4.1 Accommodation, Cafes & Restaurants - 204 101 72 46 9 7 439 4.0 Transport & Storage - 349 41 16 7 2 2 417 3.8 Finance & Insurance - 263 70 31 10 1 - 375 3.4 Cultural & Recreational Services - 175 31 17 18 2 1 244 2.2 Education - 71 51 25 42 19 2 210 1.9 Communication Services - 50 5 3 5 6 1 70 0.6 Government Administration & Defence

- 23 16 6 2 5 4 56 0.5

Mining - 13 5 5 4 1 3 31 0.3 Electricity, Gas & Water Supply - 9 3 1 7 5 3 28 0.3 TOTAL 214 7,894 1,682 637 307 116 87 10,937 100 % 2.0 72.2 15.4 5.8 2.8 1.1 0.8 100 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Business Register Location Counts, September 1998

2.3.5 Travel to work In 1996, the majority of Central Coast workers (66.5%) travelled to a workplace within the Central Coast (Table 17). Most workers travelled to the Gosford LGA (41.2%) and just over a quarter (25.3%) travelled to the Wyong LGA. Slightly less than a quarter of Central Coast workers (24.5%) travelled to destinations within the Sydney metropolitan area (excluding the Central Coast). Given that a total of 97,077 Central Coast persons were employed in 1996 (during the time of the Census), approximately 32,520 persons travelled outside of the Region to work. Workers aged 15-19 years were more likely to work within the Central Coast (81.1%) than other workers, though a noticeable proportion did travel to the Sydney metropolitan area (13.5%). Overall, around 1,318 young persons travelled outside the Region to work. Approximately two-thirds of workers (66.2%) aged 20-24 years travelled to a workplace within the Central Coast. Just over a quarter (26.1%) travelled to destinations within Sydney. This may reflect either a higher level of mobility than the 15-19 years age group, or, the availability of jobs in Sydney relative to the Region.


Long travel distances for work are not only costly in terms of expenditure, but may also discourage work participation. Young people, in particular, who will generally be on lower incomes and may possibly have limited travel capacity (for example, they may not have a car), are likely to find extensive travel to work a hindrance. This also means that young people are restricted to the local labour market, which, in the Central Coast, tends to under-perform in terms of job creation.


Table 17: Destination for workers from the Central Coast, 1996 Destination 15-19 years

% 20-24 years

% All workers

% Gosford 47.5 41.2 41.2 Wyong 33.6 25.0 25.3 Sydney 13.5 26.1 24.5 Sydney - Inner 2.0 4.9 5.0 Hornsby 2.8 5.1 4.0 Willoughby 2.6 3.6 2.3 North Sydney 1.1 2.3 1.5 Ku-ring-gai 1.2 2.0 1.3 Lake Macquarie 0.8 1.0 1.3 Ryde 0.3 1.0 1.2 South Sydney 0.3 1.0 1.2 Newcastle 0.3 1.1 1.1 Parramatta 0.3 0.9 1.1 Warringah 0.3 0.6 0.7 Auburn 0.1 0.3 0.5 Lane Cove 0.3 0.4 0.5 Baulkham Hills 0.2 0.3 0.4 Blacktown 0.2 0.2 0.4 Bankstown 0.1 0.3 0.4 Sydney undefined 0.5 0.4 0.4 Burwood 0.1 0.2 0.2 Concord 0.1 0.1 0.2 Holroyd 0.1 0.1 0.2 Marrickville 0.1 0.2 0.2 Other Lower Hunter 0.1 0.1 0.2 Randwick 0.0 0.1 0.2 Ashfield 0.1 0.1 0.1 Drummoyne 0.0 0.1 0.1 Hurstville 0.0 0.0 0.1 Liverpool 0.0 0.1 0.1 Manly 0.0 0.1 0.1 Mosman 0.1 0.1 0.1 Waverly 0.0 0.1 0.1 Woollahra 0.0 0.1 0.1 Botany 0.0 0.3 0.0 Canterbury 0.0 0.1 0.0 Fairfield 0.0 0.2 0.0 Kogarah 0.0 0.1 0.0 Leichardt 0.0 0.3 0.0 Penrith 0.0 0.1 0.0 Pittwater 0.0 0.1 0.0 Strathfield 0.0 0.3 0.0 Wollongong 0.0 0.1 0.0 No fixed address 2.0 2.8 4.2 NSW undefined 1.7 1.6 1.2 Outside TDC study area 0.5 1.0 1.0 Source: NSW Department of Transport 1996 Journey to Work data


2.4 Income Table 18 shows the average weekly individual income in 1996. The Central Coast had a significantly larger percentage of the working age population (48.3%) earning between $120 and $399 than NSW (40.8%). This, in part, reflects the large proportion of tradespeople, the larger number of casual/part-time workers and the larger number of unemployed people in the Central Coast. It may also reflect companies capacity to pay. An alternative explanation for lower relative incomes in the Central Coast is that workers increasingly value their rural amenities and are willing to accept lower wages in order to benefit from the surroundings. Table 18: Individual average weekly income, 1996

Weekly Individual Income 1996 Gosford

%

Wyong

%

Central Coast

%

NSW

% Negative income 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.6 Nil income 5.1 4.6 4.9 6.3 $1 - $39 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.0 $40 - $79 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.0 $80 - $119 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 Less than $120 13.9 13.3 13.6 15.1 $120 - $159 11.7 15.9 13.5 11.2 $160 - $199 11.4 12.9 12.1 9.3 $200 - $299 12.6 13.8 13.2 10.9 $300 - $399 9.4 9.7 9.5 9.2 $120 - $399 45.1 52.3 48.3 40.6 $400 - $499 9.2 8.5 8.9 9.0 $500 - $599 7.3 6.6 7.0 7.6 $600 - $699 5.2 4.4 4.8 5.4 $700 - $799 4.1 3.1 3.7 4.1 $800 - $999 5.1 3.4 4.3 5.0 $1,000 - $1,499 3.0 2.0 2.5 3.9 $1,500 or more 1.2 0.6 0.9 2.1 $400 or more 35.1 28.6 32.1 37.1 Not stated 5.5 5.7 5.6 6.3


2.5 Summary

A number of key points can be inferred from above. • The population of the Central Coast is increasing rapidly. The growth in the

numbers of young people is much greater in the Region than for NSW generally. • Rapid growth is changing the mix of the population, with evidence suggesting that

the Region is developing a more skilled workforce. This may attract investment to the Region.

• The Wyong LGA seems to suffer from greater levels of disadvantage in a number

of areas than does Gosford. This is evidenced by the higher relative level of unemployment and the lower income levels. Additionally, a higher proportion of the population in Wyong left school at an early age and fewer have successfully undertaken further education than the population in Gosford. This is likely to mean that people in Wyong are less capable of adjusting to changes in industry and occupational structure overtime and a more concerted effort is required to assist this adjustment process.


• While employment of persons residing in the Region has grown by more than that

for NSW, the labour market in the Region seems to underperform in terms of job creation. Labour force status data does not distinguish between employment within and outside of the Region, and as such is likely overestimate the level of job creation. This makes it difficult to piece together a true picture of employment growth in the Region.


3 Central Coast Youth Profile

3.1 Youth demographics

3.1.1 Population, gender and ethnicity Table 19 presents data on population changes on the Central Coast for the 15-19 and 20-24 age groups. An estimated 18,981 15-19 year olds and 15,581 20-24 year olds lived in the Central Coast in 2000, most in the Gosford shire. The growth rate of these age groups on the Central Coast has far exceeded that of NSW, with growth rates of 49.9 per cent and 40,7 per cent for 15-19 and 20-24 year olds respectively over the period 1986 to 2000 (compared to 2.7% and 4.2% for NSW). Table 19: Youth population by region

Population Gosford

No.

Wyong

No.

Central Coast

No.

NSW

No. 15-19 Years 1986 7,443 5,221 12,664 433,032 1991 8,972 6,424 15,396 434,779 1996 9,066 6,848 15,914 412,714 2000 10,563 8,418 18,981 444,919 1986 – 2000 % change 41.9 61.2 49.9 2.7

1996 – 2000 % change 16.5 22.9 19.3 7.8

20-24 Years 1986 6,319 4,752 11,071 429,327 1991 7,261 5,508 12,769 438,519 1996 8,095 6,309 14,404 435,711 2000 8,699 6,882 15,581 447,365 1986 – 2000 % change 37.7 44.8 40.7 4.2

1996 – 2000 % change 7.5 9.1 8.2 2.7 Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96


While population growth rates for youth on the Central Coast were higher than for NSW over the period 1986 to 2000, the overall proportion of young people in the total population had declined and is below the NSW average. This is due primarily to the higher rate of growth in the total population in the Region. In 2000, people in the 15-19 years age group made up only 6.5 per cent of the Central Coast population (NSW 6.9%), and the 20-24 years age group made up only 5.3 per cent (NSW 6.9%). In 1996, females accounted for 48.7 per cent of the 15-19 year old population (51.3% for males) and 50.2 per cent of the 20-24 year old population (49.8% for males). In 1996, indigenous persons accounted for only 1.3 per cent of the total Central Coast population. However, the indigenous population is relatively young, with 15-19


and 20-24 year olds accounting for 10 per cent and 7 per cent of the indigenous population.

3.1.2 Labour force profile Table 20 shows the change in the labour force status of 15-19 year olds over the period 1986 to 1996. Compared to NSW, the Central Coast had around half the reduction in full-time employment and double the increase in part-time employment. Part-time employment growth in the Central Coast sustained an increase in total employment during the period. In 1986, part-time employment accounted for around 30 per cent of total employment of 15-19 year olds, both in NSW and the Central Coast. However, by 1996, part-time employment accounted for slightly higher than 60 per cent of total employment (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cdata96). While there may be a preference for part-time work among young people, the move away from full-time employment may create problems by reducing income and by reducing the general security of work. The trend towards part-time work is also prevalent in the growing number of unemployed looking for part-time work. Overall, the level of unemployment and the size of the labour force rose in the Central Coast over the period, while falling in NSW. Differences in rates of participation in tertiary education may explain this difference. One important disparity between the Central Coast and NSW is the increase in persons not in the labour force. This may reflect both growing numbers of persons continuing with higher education or a growing number of people becoming discouraged and giving up seeking work. Table 20: Change in labour force status of 15-19 year olds, 1986-96

15-19 years Labour market state Wyong

% change Gosford

% change Central Coast

% change NSW

% change Employed Full-time -25 -33 -30 -50 Employed Part-time 237 210 221 106 Employed Total 46 32 38 -8 Unemployed looking for: Full-time work

-8 -17 -13 -38


119 83 98 23

Unemployed Total 7 -1 3 -26 Labour force Total 35 25 29 -12 Not in the labour force 27 18 21 2 Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96


Table 21: Change in labour force status of 20-24 year olds, 1986-96 20-24 years Labour market state

Wyong % change

Gosford % change

Central Coast % change

NSW % change

Employed Full-time 25 19 21 -14 Employed Part-time 133 114 122 67 Employed Total 44 35 39 -1 Unemployed looking for: Full-time work

-1 4 1 -18


11 7 9 6

Unemployed Total 0 5 2 -14 Labour force Total 33 30 31 -3 Not in the labour force 27 14 20 15 Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

The 20-24 years age group in the Central Coast experienced similar trends, although in contrast to the 15-19 years age group, the numbers in full-time employment actually rose over the period (Table 21). The labour force of this group rose by 31 per cent while falling slightly in NSW. More current unemployment estimates (from January 2000 to January 2002) are presented in Figure 8. There is a large degree of variation in the Regional rate, however, the unemployment rate for 15-19 year olds in the Central Coast is generally higher than for both NSW and Australia. This is displayed more clearly in Table 22 which the level of unemployment of 15-19 year olds in Wyong, Gosford and the Central Coast as estimated at during the census in 1986, 1991 and 1996. It also shows that Wyong has a much higher rate of unemployment that Gosford and NSW.


Figure 8: Unemployment Rate for 15-19 year olds

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey Table 22: Unemployment and labour force, 15-19 year olds

Status Wyong Gosford NSW Labour force (No.) 1986 2,908 3,915 215,691 1991 3,505 4,894 206,225 1996 3,913 4,886 190,558 Unemployment (No.) 1986 867 900 47,394 1991 894 992 44,909 1996 928 895 34,902 Unemployment rate (%) 1986 29.8 23 22 1991 25.5 20.3 21.8 1996 23.7 18.3 18.3 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 Figures 9 and 10 shows the industries employing persons in the 15-19 years and 20-24 years age groups in 1996 respectively. The Central Coast and NSW follow similar industry employment patterns, with nearly half of working 15-19 year olds employed in Retail. The proportion working in the Retail industry falls by around half for the 20-24 age group.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Jan-00 Apr-00 Jul-00 Oct-00 Jan-01 Apr-01 Jul-01 Oct-01 Jan-02

%

CCNSWAustralia


Figure 9: Employment by industry for 15-19 year olds, 1996


Figure 10: Employment by industry for 20-24 year olds, 1996

0

5

10

15

20

25

Retail t

rade

Manufa

cturin

g

Accom

modati

on, C

afes &

Res

tauran

ts

Constr

uctio

n

Propert

y & Bus

iness

Service

s

Person

al & O

ther S

ervice

s

Wholes

ale tra

de

Health

& Com

munity

Service

s

Cultura

l & R

ecrea

tiona

l Serv

ices

Financ

e & In

suran

ce

Transp

ort & Stor

age

Educa

tion

Agricu

lture,

Forestr

y & Fish

ing

Govern

ment A

dmini

strati

on & D

efenc

e

Commun

icatio

n Serv

ices

Electric

ity, G

as & W

ater S

upply

Mining

Non-cl

assif

iable

Not sta

ted

%

Central Coast (20-24)NSW (20-24)


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Retail t

rade

Manufa

cturin

g

Accom

modati

on, C

afes &

Res

tauran

ts

Constr

uctio

n

Propert

y & Bus

iness

Service

s

Person

al & O

ther S

ervice

s

Wholes

ale tra

de

Health

& Com

munity

Service

s

Cultura

l & R

ecrea

tiona

l Serv

ices

Financ

e & In

suran

ce

Transp

ort & Stor

age

Educa

tion

Agricu

lture,

Forestr

y & Fish

ing

Govern

ment A

dmini

strati

on & D

efenc

e

Commun

icatio

n Serv

ices

Electric

ity, G

as & W

ater S

upply

Mining

Non-cl

assif

iable

Not sta

ted

%

Central Coast (15-19)NSW (15-19)


As shown in Table 23, the largest occupational category for Central Coast youth aged 15-19 years in 1996 was Elementary Clerical, Sales & Service Workers (40.6%). The Region generally had a lower proportion of its 15-19 year old workforce in ‘white-collar’ occupations than did NSW. Table 23: Employment by occupation of 15-19 year olds, 1996

Occupation Wyong

%

Gosford

%

Central Coast

%

NSW

% Elementary Clerical, Sales & Service Workers

40.1 41 40.6 34.2

Tradespersons & Related Workers 16.9 15.4 16 16.8 Labourers & Related Workers 15 13.4 14.1 14.5 Intermediate Clerical, Sales & Service Workers

10.9 14 12.7 15.4

Intermediate Production & Transport Workers

7.9 6.6 7.2 7.1

Associate Professionals 2.6 3 2.8 3.2 Not stated 2.8 2.6 2.7 3.1 Advanced Clerical & Service Workers 1.7 1.9 1.8 2.1 Professionals 1.4 1.5 1.5 2.4 Managers and Administrators 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.9 Inadequately described 0 0.3 0.1 0.3 Total 100 100 100 100 Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

The 20-24 year old workforce in the Central Coast had a higher proportion in ‘white collar’ occupations than the 15-19 year old group, although this is still lower than for NSW, possibly reflecting persons in this age group moving out of the Region due to the lack of employment in these occupations (Table 24). Table 24: Employment by occupation of 20-24 year olds, 1996

Occupation Wyong

%

Gosford

%

Central Coast

%

NSW

% Intermediate Clerical, Sales & Service Workers

20.4 21.6 21.1 22.9

Tradespersons & Related Workers 21.6 18.4 19.7 17.5 Elementary Clerical, Sales & Service Workers

13.6 13.9 13.8 12.2

Labourers & Related Workers 12.7 9.6 10.9 8.1 Professionals 6.7 11.3 9.4 13.3 Associate Professionals 8.7 9.7 9.3 9.2 Intermediate Production & Transport Workers

7.9 6.5 7.1 6.8

Advanced Clerical & Service Workers 4.6 4.9 4.8 5 Managers & Administrators 2.2 2.6 2.4 2.8 Not stated 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.5 Inadequately described 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.6 Total 100 100 100 100



Generally, by the age of 20, workers in both Central Coast and NSW seem to have made a transition from industries and occupations associated with casual employment to those that offer career paths and skill development. This is against the background whereby a growing proportion of job opportunities are in part-time employment.

3.1.3 Income The incomparability of income data from the various Census’ does not allow for the change in income to be assessed. Around 26 per cent of 15-19 year olds earned no income in 1996 while around 59 per cent earned less than $120 a week. Both these figures are slightly lower than the NSW average (Table 25). A higher proportion of young people in Gosford than Wyong earned less than $120 per week. The majority of 20-24 year olds in the Central Coast earned less than $400 in 1996, with the proportion being slightly larger than for NSW (Table 26). Those in Wyong tended to be more likely to earn less than $400. Table 25: Average individual weekly income for 15-19 year olds, 1996

Weekly Individual Income 1996 Gosford

%

Wyong

%

Central Coast

%

NSW




Table 26: Average individual weekly income for 20-24 year olds, 1996 Weekly Individual Income 1996 Gosford

%

Wyong

%

Central Coast

%

NSW



3.2 Summary • Employment of 15-19 year olds in the Central Coast had been boosted by the

large rise in part-time employment, which had offset the fall in full-time employment over the period 1986 to 1996. A similar trend occurred in NSW. For 20-24 year olds in the Central Coast, both full-time and part time employment had risen, in contrast to NSW where full-time employment fell.

• It is difficult to speculate on how the trend towards part-time employment (which

now accounts for around two-thirds of total 15-19 year old employment in the Region) has affected the career prospects of young people and the employment situation in the Region generally. Evidence suggests that after the age of 19, young people will move into career-orientated occupations. This is apparent from the differences in the industry and occupational mix between the 15-19 and 20-24 age groups. It is also implied by the fact that a high proportion of young people seem to move out of the Central Coast and work outside of the Region.

• There is a large gap in the information on the labour market status of young

people. The information gathered does not provide a complete picture of movement of the unemployed, particularly what services they are using and whether there is sufficient access to these services for all who want to use them. Additional information was sought from various government departments and private providers but could not be obtained for various reasons, including confidentiality.


• A higher proportion of 15-19 and 20-24 year olds in the Central Coast earned less than $400 per week in 1996 compared to NSW. However, fewer Central Coast youths had nil income in 1996 compared to NSW.

• As with the general population, the situation for young people in Wyong is

different compared to Gosford. Youth employment growth in Wyong had outpaced that in Gosford from 1986 to 1996. However, Wyong also experienced higher growth rates in both the labour force and the number of unemployed. Wyong had fewer 15-19 year olds in clerical sales and service type occupations but more in trades and labouring occupations in 1996. Wyong had noticeably fewer 20-24 year olds in professional occupation in 1996 than did Gosford. In terms of income, Wyong had more 15-19 year olds earning less than $400 a week than did Gosford in 1996 (although a higher number in Gosford earned zero income). Income differences were even starker for 20-24 year olds, with far fewer of those residing in Wyong earning more than $400 a week compared to Gosford.


4 Education and Training

4.1 Participation patterns The demographic analysis in Chapter 2 shows that while, compared to NSW, a smaller proportion of the Central Coast’s population had attained formal education qualifications, by 1996 there had been a large increase in education participation. • There are currently 15 government and 10 non-government high schools in the

Central Coast School District. The location of these can be seen in Maps 6 and 7 in Appendix 2b. There are three other high schools in the Wyong LGA, but they are under the auspices of the Lake Macquarie School District. Additionally, there are 51 primary schools in the Central Coast School District.

• There are three post-secondary Campuses on the Central Coast. These are the

Central Coast Campuses, at Gosford, Ourimbah and Wyong. The Central Coast Campuses are a joint venture between the University of Newcastle, Hunter Institute - TAFE NSW, and the Central Coast Community College. These Campuses offered 142 different TAFE Courses, and 48 different University courses in 2001.

• Other institutions provide formally recognised qualifications, particularly

accredited Adult and Community Education (ACE) providers. The NSW Board of Adult and Community Education website identified six providers operating on the Central Coast in 1999.

• There are a number of Registered Training Organisations although exact

numbers are not available. Table 27 shows the level of participation in education and training as given by the trend in enrolments on the Central Coast. Data for non-government schools has not been obtained. The data shows that, in general, there is a trend of increasing enrolments in the Region for all types of institutions. Table 27: Enrolments at major education institutions, Central Coast

Institution 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Primary* ac 18,530 18,859 19,259 19,608 19,671 19,757 Secondary* ac 12,307 12,505 13,053 13,486 13,220 12,991 Secondary* b 2425 2,497 2,678 2,752 2,709 2,691 TAFE 9,774 10,762 9,501 10,681 11,392 10,721 University na 1,607 1,774 1,803 1,870 1,950 ACE na 13,081 15,284 18,975 na na * Excludes non-government schools a data for Central Coast School District; b data for Lake Macquarie School District applicable to North Wyong; c 2002 enrolments are 13,691 for secondary school and 19,201 for primary school Sources: NSW Department of Education and Training (personal correspondence); Central Coast TAFE (personal correspondence); University of Newcastle (personal correspondence)


Recommendation 2: A more detailed analysis of school data is required, particularly enrolment data. An analysis of the rate of growth in enrolments compared to the rate of growth in the population in the various regions would provide a useful measure of the pressure on education resources.

4.1.1 Primary and secondary schools In 2001, almost 35,500 students were enrolled in government schools in the Region. Between 1997 and 1998, the Region had a higher rate of growth in enrolments (2.4%) than either the Sydney Metropolitan District (0.17%) or other Districts in NSW (0.15%) (NSW Department of Education and Training 2000a). Information on the student demographic is sparse. In 2000, approximately 2,511 students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) were enrolled in Central Coast schools, equivalent to around 7.6 per cent of the student population. This compares to a State average of 23.7 per cent. NESB students accounted for 6.9 per cent (1,353) of primary school enrolments and 8.5 per cent (1,126) of high school enrolments (NSW Department of Education and Training 2000b). Enrolments of indigenous students accounted for 2.2 per cent of the student population in 1998, with 455 and 234 indigenous students enrolled in Central Coast primary and secondary schools respectively. This compared to a State average of 3.5 per cent in 1998 (NSW Department of Education and Training 2000a). In 1998, seven primary schools and one secondary school were part of the disadvantaged schools program, which is for schools with a high proportion of students from a disadvantaged socio-economic background (NSW Department of Education and Training 2000a).

4.1.1.1 School retention rates Some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining data on retention rates for Years 10 and Years 12. The sensitive nature of the information has made education authorities hesitant to release it for this study. NSW Department of Education and Training officers, however, have provided some data verbally to the effect that in 1999 around 61 per cent of Central Coast students completed Year 12, compared to the state average of 61.1 per cent. This result was an improvement from 1997, when 57.9 per cent of the Region’s students completed Year 12 compared to 58.2 per cent for NSW. It is uncertain if this result applies to all students or just those from government schools. Work conducted by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (2001) on NSW schools retention rates suggests that retention rates in 2000 were around 67 per cent (Table 28). This estimate was derived by comparing Year 7 enrolments in 1995 with Year 12 enrolments in 2000, a method subject to problems caused by migration and other factors that affect the size of the cohort of students. For the periods estimated, female students had a higher retention rate than male students.


Table 28: Apparent retention rates for NSW schools Years Males

% Females

% Total

%

1990 52 62 57 1995 64 74 69 2000 62 74 67 Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (2001) Recommendation 3: As school retention is a key performance indicator for the Youth Commitment, some mechanism should be agreed upon to allow data to be made available. This might include releasing retention data in an alternative form to a basic percentage of students (such as showing the percentage change between years or relative to some base year). Data should also be released at a level which accounts for performance differences within the Region so that programs may be targeted geographically.

4.1.1.2 Literacy, numeracy and test scores This information is confidential and cannot be supplied for this study. Basic literacy and numeracy is a key indicator of education and workplace competency, as well as basic life skills. Test scores for both the Schools Certificate and the Higher School Certificate indicate the options a student will have in pursuing further studies or a career.

4.1.1.3 Youth Action Project The Youth Action Project will likely offer a detailed account of other programs available to school students experiencing difficulties. Included among these are: • Phone Intervention Program Strategy • “Time Out” Program • “Reality Check” Program • “Seasons for Growth” Program The findings of the Youth Action Project with respect to these (and other) programs should be considered as part of the Youth Commitment.

4.1.2 TAFE TAFE enrolments in the Central Coast have generally increased since 1995, as shown in Table 29. Wyong is the largest campus in the Region, going by student numbers. In 2000, an estimated 5 per cent of the Region’s population aged 15 or over attended TAFE (NSW TAFE, personal correspondence).


Table 29: TAFE enrolments on the Central Coast

Campus 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Central Coast 245 1,103 1,702 2,187 2,545 2,820 Wyong 4,679 4,663 5,019 3,856 4,453 4,837 Gosford 4,222 4,008 4,041 3,458 3,683 3,735 Total 9,146 9,774 10,762 9,501 10,681 11,392 Source: NSW TAFE (personal correspondence) Table 30 shows the age distribution of students enrolled at TAFE. In 2000, around one-third of Central Coast students were between the ages of 15 and 19, a higher proportion than the NSW average (Vicki Drew, NSW TAFE: personal correspondence). Table 30: TAFE enrolment by age, 2000

Age Ourimbah Campus

%

Gosford campus

%

Wyong campus

%

Central Coast**

%

NSW

% 15-19 31.6 29.4 30.8 33.6 25.8 20-24 13.6 11.5 11.6 14.1 16.8 25-39 25.1 24.9 24.9 24.0 30.5 40-49 16.6 18.2 18.5 15.5 15.5 Over 50 13.2 16.0 14.4 11.5 9.5 * May not add to 100% due to rounding and ‘not-stated’ errors ** Central Coast aggregate figures supplied separately and may not reflect campus figures Source: NSW TAFE (personal correspondence) Table 31 shows the characteristics of those enrolled at Central Coast TAFEs in 2001. Around one-third of all students were aged 19 years or less, with 9 per cent of students still at school. Almost three-quarters of students had at least a Year 10 or equivalent level of education. The majority of students attended TAFE on a part-time basis, possibly reflecting the fact that over 40 per cent of TAFE students were employed. Some 23 per cent of students were seeking work. The main areas of study in 2001 by students aged 19 and under included: Community Services, Tourism and Hospitality; Business and Administration; Construction and Transport; Information Technology, Arts and Media; and Access courses. The Access division includes literacy and numeracy courses, work skills and transition courses, general education courses, and courses to assist students to enter tertiary education. Persons aged 19 years and under make up around 19 per cent of all Access enrolments. Enrolments in Access courses by this age cohort have risen from 539 in 1998 to 705 in 2000, generally reflecting a large rise in demand for Access and General Education courses (Central Coast Campus: personal correspondence). Wyong Campus had around half of the State’s Helping Youth at Risk enrolments in 2001, with 29 people enrolled. Without destination data it is difficult to say whether TAFE is assisting young people develop skills appropriate to the industry base in the Region or other regions where people tend to work. It is also important to recognise that young people in Access courses are more likely to encounter problems and attention should be paid to this group, particularly the ones who withdraw from courses.


Table 31: Characteristics of TAFE students, 2000

Wyong Gosford Ourimbah PROFILE

ENROL- MENTS

% OF TOTAL

ENROL- MENTS

% OF TOTAL

ENROL- MENTS

% OF TOTAL

Total enrolments 4,837 100 3,735 100 2,820 100 Females 2,541 52.5 2,239 59.9 1,473 52.2 Males 2,296 47.5 1,496 40.1 1,347 47.8 Full-time 411 8.5 221 5.9 232 8.2 Part-time 4,426 91.5 3,514 94.1 2,588 91.8 New enrolments 4,268 88.2 3,310 88.6 2,153 76.3 Re-enrolments 569 11.8 425 11.4 667 23.7 NESB home language 84 1.7 149 4 32 1.1 Born NES country 239 4.9 277 7.4 112 4 Need help with English 76 1.6 164 4.4 26 0.9 Aged 19 or less 1,481 30.6 1,026 27.5 1,067 37.8 Aged 20-24 years 557 11.5 423 11.3 559 19.8 Aged 25-39 years 1,197 24.7 927 24.8 718 25.5 Aged 40-49 years 889 18.4 662 17.7 329 11.7 Aged 50 or more 692 14.3 671 18 128 4.5 Year 12 or equiv. 1,125 23.3 995 26.6 1,057 37.5 Year 11 or equiv. 426 8.8 306 8.2 312 11.1 Year 10 or equiv. 1,849 38.2 1,441 38.6 1,031 36.6 Year 7 to year 9 553 11.4 469 12.6 178 6.3 No secondary education 45 0.9 52 1.4 7 0.2 Aboriginal/Torres 99 2 137 3.7 106 3.8 Disability 448 9.3 270 7.2 163 5.8 Disability (need help) 98 2 106 2.8 67 2.4 Full-time employee 1,175 24.3 977 26.2 803 28.5 Part-time employee 824 17 608 16.3 761 27 Self employed/unpaid 128 2.6 171 4.6 97 3.4 Unemployed seeking work 1,133 23.4 886 23.7 572 20.3 Not seeking employment 580 12 518 13.9 256 9.1 Still at school 456 9.4 240 6.4 290 10.3 University graduate 138 2.9 126 3.4 65 2.3 Source: TAFE NSW (personal correspondence) Recommendation 4: Establish a mechanism for collecting data on the destination of 15-19 olds who withdraw from TAFE.

4.1.3 University The University campus at Ourimbah is a reasonably new facility. Enrolments at the campus have risen steadily, and a total of 1,950 students were enrolled in 2001. The main areas of study at the campus include arts, teaching, business/management, commerce, science, and information technology (University of Newcastle, personal correspondence). Approximately 28 per cent of enrolments in 2001 were by students aged 19 or under.


The main areas of study by 15-19 year olds at the university campus are management, teaching/arts, applied information technology, commerce and science. The attrition rate for these courses is generally under 25 per cent. No comparable data for NSW is available. It is not known whether destination data for those students withdrawing from courses is available. The university runs courses to assist the entry of young people into university. These include the Newstep and Open Foundation courses. In 2000, 50 young people undertook the Newstep course and 5 undertook the Open Foundation. The attrition rate from these courses is high, generally over 50 per cent. Recommendation 5: Establish a mechanism for collecting data on the destination of 15-19 olds who withdraw from university.

4.1.4 Other providers There are six registered ACE providers in the Central Coast. ACE enrolments have increased (see Table 32), and at a faster rate (45.1%) than for NSW (9.8%). Data from the NSW Board of Adult and Community Education (2000) suggests that the proportion of the Region’s adult population attending ACEs has increased (3.2 per cent in 1999), although it is still smaller than NSW (3.9%). Most attendees are females, although the proportion of female enrolments is smaller in the Region (76%) compared to NSW (87%). Additionally, a large proportion of enrolments are by older persons. The main areas of study provided by ACEs in the Region are Health and Community Services; Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business, Administration and Economics, and; Science. In 1999, around 550 people enrolled in literacy courses. Around 27 per cent of ACE enrolments in the Region in 1999 were in ‘Recreation, Leisure and Personal Enrichment’ courses, compared to around 45 per cent for NSW. This would suggest that a higher proportion of Central Coast attendees use ACEs for professional development than is the case for NSW.


Table 32: Enrolment at Adult Community Education providers

Region and campus 1997 1998 1999 % change over 1997-

1999 period Central Coast 13,081 15,284 18,975 45.1 Central Coast Community College*

7,012 6,380 10,024 43.0 Central Coast Regional Council of ACE

- - 66 na Kincumber Adult and Community Education Centre

1,120 1,281 1,386 23.8

Peninsular Community Centre 796 863 881 10.7 Tuggerah Lakes Community Leisure Learning & Training Centre

1,413 1,668 1,850 30.9

Wyong Adult and Community Education

2,740 5,092 4,768 74.0 NSW 341,473 348,904 374,943 9.8 * 2001 enrolments were 8,523 Source: NSW Board of Adult and Community Education (2000)

4.2 Vocational education and training (VET) participation VET participation (structured work placements and training) by students is increasing and anecdotal evidence suggests that participants are benefiting from the experience. Jackie McDonald (Youth Connections) commented that VET is assisting to keep young people in school by reducing the amount of academic study required to complete the HSC, and by showing the relevance of school to work. The proportion of Year 11 students undertaking VET who complete the HSC has risen from one-quarter to one-half. VET also provides invaluable experience, with students being able to test an occupation to see if they would like to pursue it as a full-time career. Many VET participants go on to TAFE after leaving school, while others are obtaining jobs through their work placement.

4.2.1 VET in schools In 2001 some 2,156 students participated in structured work placements. Most students participating were in Year 11 (1,423) while the rest were in Year 12 (733). Thirteen government high schools were involved in VET in 2001, including: Berkeley Vale; Erina; Girrakool; Henry Kendall; Kincumber; Lisarow; Narara Valley; Terrigal; The Entrance; Tumbi Umbi; Umina; Woy Woy; and Wyong. Those expected to participate in 2002 include: Berkeley Vale; Erina; Girrakool; Gosford; Henry Kendall; Kincumber; Lisarow; Narara Valley; Terrigal; The Entrance; Tumbi Umbi; Umina; Woy Woy; and Wyong3. Table 33 shows participation by school type and gender. This data referes to the work placements arranged that Youth Connections have been advised of. The number of students undertaking VET without any associated work placement in not known. In addition, it is not known if this data includes those schools in the Wyong LGA that are part of the Lake Macquarie School District.

3 A number of high schools have undergone name changes in 2002


Table 33: Participation in school-based VET, 2001

School type Males Females Total Government 872 829 1,701 Independent 194 43 237 Catholic 89 129 218 Total 1,155 1,001 2,156 Source: Youth Connections (personal correspondence) Table 34 shows alternative data for VET participation supplied by the NSW Department of Education and Training. It shows that participation has risen markedly since 1996. The disparity in the data shown in Table 31 and Table 32 might be explained by the possibility that Table 32 includes data for the Wyong-based Lake Macquarie District schools, or, Table 32 may include VET placements that Youth Connections have not been informed about. Table 34: Students participation in VET courses with mandatory work

placement within the Central Coast geographical region Year Central

Coast District

students

Lake Macquarie

District students

Private school

students

TAFE students

TOTAL Increase from

previous year %

1996 - - - - 454 - 1997 - - - - 786 73 1998 - - - - 1058 35 1999 747 262 212 0 1221 16 2000 936 289 224 124 1582 30 2001 1133 414 495 98 2296 45

Source: NSW Department of Education and Training (personal correspondence) Some 537 businesses participated in the VET program in 2001. Of these, 293 (55%) were businesses with less than five employees, 174 (32%) small businesses (6-20 employees), 51 (9%) medium sized businesses (21-100 employees) and 19 (4%) large businesses (more than 100 employees). Table 35 shows VET participation by business type. The top five industries participating in VET are generally (except for Construction) those experiencing market growth over the period 1986 to 1996. The majority of students undertook VET in the hospitality industry (34%), followed by IT (16%), construction (14%) and retail (11%). The Hospitality sector had the most number of businesses providing VET. It is difficult to determine the proportion of businesses in each industry participating in VET because the industry definitions provided do not all accord with existing ABS industry codes.


Table 35: VET participation by business type, 2001

Businesses Students Students Industry No. No. %

Hospitality 136 736 34 Information Technology 112 345 16 Construction 57 302 14 Retail 104 228 11 Business services and admin 48 213 10 Furnishings 14 137 6 Metal and engineering 17 79 4 Tourism 15 46 2 Primary industries 16 38 2 Electrical technology 18 32 1 Total 537 2,156 100 Source: Youth Connections (personal correspondence) Recommendation 6: Data collected for VET should be consistent with current ABS statistical formats and industry definitions to allow comparison of data. Recommendation 7: Growth industries should be targeted to participate in VET as these are where future employment possibilities lie. School-based VET in the Region is coordinated through two channels. Youth Connections, based at Gosford, runs the Central Coast Work Placement program which coordinates structured workplace learning for Year 11, Year 12, and TAFE Pathways students and students with disabilities. Youth Connections organised work places for around 1,500 students in 2001. The program is funded by both State and federal bodies up to December 2002. Alternatively, schools themselves find VET placements for their students. However, an increasing number are using the services of Youth Connections. Recommendation 8: The provision of VET placement services by a private provider after 2002 should be finalised as a matter of priority, particularly if an increasing number of schools are using a private provider for placement services. The relationship between the schools, the VET placement service provider and participating businesses needs to be stable to ensure cohesion. For this reason, provider contracts should have a reasonably long duration. It may be possible for a number of providers to exist, each specialising in proving VET services in particular industries, although high fixed costs may limit the scope for such a model. Participation in school-based VET is expected to increase to approximately 2,820 in 2002, with an increase in both Year 11 (1,725) and Year 12 (1,095) participation. An


increasing number of students want VET placements in Information Technology (expected to jump by 246 to 591), Business Services (to increase by more than 100), Construction (to increase by more than 100), Retail (to increase by around 80) and Metals and Engineering (to increase by 50). The VET program for students with disabilities has grown on the Central Coast, with between 80-90 students expected to participate in 2002.

4.2.2 TAFE delivered VET (TVET) TAFE provided VET to 983 students in 2001 (see Table 36). The majority of students undertaking TVET were female (56%). Most students were between the age of 15 and 16 years (52%), while 17 year olds accounted for 40 per cent of TVET students. Around two-thirds of TVET students are from Year 11. Table 36: TAFE delivered VET in schools (enrolments)

Campus 1998 1999 2000 2001 Central Coast 173 229 260 298 Gosford 180 182 176 208 Wyong 445 507 423 477 Total 798 918 859 983 Source: NSW TAFE (personal correspondence) All government schools participate in TVET. A number of non-government schools also participate, including Lakes Anglican Grammar; Central Coast Grammar; Green Point Christian, Heritage College, St Peter's Catholic College, and St Joseph's Catholic College. A wide variety of program areas are offered with TVET, with Child and Family Services (9% of students), Marine Vehicle Trim and Soft Furnishings (7%) and Media and Entertainment (7%) the most common program areas undertaken by students. The completion rate for TVET courses in the Central Coast was around 85-90 per cent in 2001.

4.2.3 Private Vocational providers The NSW Department of Education and Training provided the HVRF a list of private vocational service providers (known as Registered Training Organisations or RTOs). Some of these also provided VET services. Included on this list are: • Active Industries • Central Coast Group Training • ET Australia • Work Wise • Hunter Valley Group Training • Advanced Career College


• Central Coast Community College • Wyong and Tuggerah Adult and Community Education Centres • Pan Pacific Training Company • Betta Careers Centre The HVRF attempted to survey the RTOs to determine the services they provided and the number of people undertaking study with RTOs. However, there was a low response rate to the survey, making it difficult to make recommendations on the state of private VET services in the Region. The responses that were received include: • The Central Coast Community College had 8,523 enrolments in 2001, of which

2,439 (29%) were VOC enrolments. Around 680 students were between the age of 15 and 19 years.

• ET Australia had 650 enrolments in 2001. Around 500 enrolments were VOC

related while around 150 were trainees. Some 450 students were in the 15-19 years age cohort.

• The Pan Pacific Training Company had 730 enrolments in 2001, all of which were

VOC enrolments. This information does not correspond to the sit other information on school-based VET. It is not clear whether the private providers are providing VET services to schools or to non-secondary school students. Recommendation 9: Consolidate information on private VET and VOC providers. This should be done centrally, either by NSW DET or alternatively by the main VET service provider (currently Youth Connections).

4.3 Post-school destination Post-school destination data for the Central Coast is both sporadic and inconsistent. The only current source of destination data on the Central Coast is from Youth Connections, a provider of youth services. Youth Connections collects destination data as part of its Central Coast Connect (Triple C) program, which provides support for up to 12 months to young people aged 14-19 years who have left school. This program aims to track school leavers and provide destination management assistance. Data from this source is limited, given that funding was provided for only one year. Currently destination data on Year 12 students from 2000 and Years 8 to 12 who came through the Triple C program in 2001 is available. Youth Connections also has some destination data on VET students. This information can be found at 4.3.3. Besides the Triple C program, there have been a number of destination studies conducted in the Central Coast. These are reviewed below.


4.3.1 Census data The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations used data from the 1996 Census to estimate post-school destination4 in a report on the NSW youth labour market entitled Youth Labour Market Trends in NSW (August 2001). The major findings of this report include: • At the time of the Census, a higher proportion of 1996 Central Coast school

leavers was employed than for other areas of the State. Additionally, more Central Coast school leavers were unemployed than was the case with Sydney school leavers, although proportionately less were unemployed compared to the rest of the State. Less Central Coast school leavers were deemed to be not in the labour force than other areas of NSW. The likely destination of this group includes higher education, hidden unemployment or household responsibilities. The data is likely to underestimate the number of former Central Coast students not in the labour force because it is likely that more students would then have pursued tertiary studies outside of the Region because of the lack of facilities. Figure 11 presents this data diagrammatically.

4 For people whose age (in years) on Census night was the same as the age at which they left school.


Figure 11: School leavers destinations by region and gender, 1996

Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Youth Labour Market Trends in NSW (2001). • Of those school leavers employed, the main industry destinations included Retail

Trade, Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants, Manufacturing, Property and Business Services, and Construction.

• The major occupational groups that school leavers entered include Elementary

Clerical Sales and Service, Trades and Related Occupations, Intermediate Clerical Sales and Service, and Labourers and Related Occupation.

4.3.2 Central Coast Tracking Project A study by the University of Melbourne (Teese et al. 1997) tracked the destination of Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 Central Coast students from the 1995 school year. The study found that around 13 per cent of Year 10 students did not return to school. Of these, around 7 per cent (54 per cent of the 13 per cent) were in full-time employment and around 3 per cent were unemployed. Of the Year 11 students, 57.5 per cent returned to school. Of those who did not return to school, around 7.5 per cent were unemployed, 19.3 per cent obtained full-time employment, while 4.9 per cent were employed part-time. Some 7.3 per cent obtained an apprenticeship or traineeship, while 3.5 per cent went to TAFE. Of the Year 12 students, around 32 per cent attended university, 12.2 per cent attended TAFE, and 8.2 per cent got an apprenticeship or traineeship. Some 27.9 per cent entered full-time employment, while another 11.2 per cent entered part-time employment. Around 6.9 per cent were unemployed.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Female Male Female Male Female Male

% Leavers Employed % Leavers Unemployed % Leavers Not in the labour force

Prop

ortio

n of

sch

ool l

eave

rs % Gosford/Wyong

Total SydneyTotal Non-Sydney


4.3.3 Central Coast Connect (Triple C) Program The Central Coast Connect program (run by Youth Connections) supports school leavers for 12 months, providing advice on alternative pathways and programs available to assist the transition from school. Data is available on the destination of Year 12 leavers from 2000 at both March 2001 and November 2001 (Table 37) and school leavers over the period February-August 2001 (Table 38). From Table 37, it can be seen that most Year 12 students who completed their studies in 2000 were in tertiary education, full-time and part-time employment or unemployed in March 2001. When these same people were contacted again in November, the numbers attending university and TAFE had dropped substantially, as had those employed part-time. The numbers employed full-time had almost doubled while around 20 per cent could not be contacted (most as a result of disconnected phones). Table 37: Year 12 school leavers, March and November 2001

Activity March No.

March %

November No.

November %

University 351 27 297 23 TAFE 205 16 121 9 Employed - casual/part time 178 14 119 9 Employed - full time 131 10 246 19 Unemployed 119 9 42 3 Unable to contact 80 6 268 20 Course at private provider 65 5 32 2 Traineeship 72 5 73 6 Apprenticeship 44 3 51 4 Defence Force Recruitment 20 2 19 1 Travel 22 2 29 2 Other 11 1 8 1 HSC - pathways 6 0 4 0 Parenting 4 0 - 0 Refused assistance 2 0 - 0 TOTAL 1,310 100 1,309 100 Source: Youth Connections (personal correspondence) Table 38 shows the destination of school leavers going through the Triple C program in 2001 (up to August). Most early school leavers from 2001 either entered into the Jobs Pathway Program (24%) or transferred to other schools (19%). Around 20 per cent of those leaving entered employment or an apprenticeship or traineeship. Around 16 per cent of leavers could not be traced. Data collected by Youth Connections from the Central Coast Work Placement program shows that the destination of almost one-third of Year 12 VET participants in 2001 is unknown.


Table 38: Destination of early school leavers, February-August 2001

Destination No. % Register with Jobs Pathway Program 133 24 Transfer 106 19 Unknown 52 10 Employed (full time) 40 7 Employed (part time) 38 7 TAFE 36 7 Unable to contact 31 6 Course at private provider 27 5 Move out of area 29 5 Other 21 4 Apprenticeship 14 3 Traineeship 15 3 Unemployed 3 1 Total 545 100 Source: Youth Connections (personal correspondence) Recommendation 10: A permanent destination data collection program should be established. The high proportion of persons who could not be contacted through the current tracking programs could reduce the effectiveness of any transition programs established under the Youth Commitment and this problem should be afforded particular attention. There needs to be a commitment by government agencies to assist in tracking persons, particularly those that come in regular contact with disconnected people (such as Centrelink). Ideally, the establishment of such a program should not be tied to funding, as this would place it under financial constraints. Alternatively, a permanent funding source should be found. The program should aim to gather data from all students who leave compulsory education. However, given funding constraints, a sample survey would possibly be sufficient.

4.4 Apprenticeships and Traineeships

The HVRF has been unable to collect detailed data on apprenticeships and traineeships. TAFE data has been made available, however, which shows that the number of traineeships increased markedly from the year 2000, possibly as a result of Federal Government initiatives. There are private companies that offer apprenticeships. One such company, Central Coast Group Training Pty Ltd (CCGT), takes over the role of the employers in hiring and training apprentices. The CCGT actively seeks young people to undertake an apprenticeship with their company. While training apprentices, CCGT hires them out to companies on demand. The positive side of this approach is that it provides a mechanism for young people to obtain apprenticeships where the industry structure may not provide the necessary opportunities, either because businesses are too


small or industries are suffering from a general lack of business. On the other hand, it may be the case that businesses are using this mechanism as a means to reduce training costs and may reflect a general lack of commitment by business to training.

4.5 Summary • A considerable number of gaps currently exist in the education and training

information available for the Region. This makes it difficult to examine existing programs and policies in any depth.

• Participation in education has increased, reflecting the population growth in the

Region, the development of facilities and, possibly, the demands of the labour market for more skilled workers. A more appropriate context to assess participation would be on a per capita basis, with comparable figures for NSW.

• Retention rates in high schools seem to have increased and are comparable with

the NSW average. • The destination tracking programs in the Region confirm that a high number of

persons cannot be contacted upon leaving school.


5 Youth services profile This section focuses on the services in the Region to assisting young people with the school-to-work transition, particularly Job Network services. The Youth Action Project should be the source of information on the wider spectrum of youth services. Most of the information in this section was collected directly from service providers. In addition to information about their programs, some service providers were asked to respond to two questions concerning the obstacles they face in running an effective service: • The specific problems encountered in running their youth programs. • What additional support services would assist the more effective delivery of their

programs. The responses to these questions are reproduced under the relevant programs. There are however some common themes running between the programs, particularly the lack of funding relative to the demand for services and the lack of integration of the full range of youth services.

5.1 Transition services There are a number of programs and providers of services to assist the transition of young people from compulsory schooling into further education or work. These are outlined in detail below.

5.1.1 Jobs Pathway Program (JPP) – Youth Connections Youth Connections, based at Gosford, has managed the JPP since 1999. It is contract based and funded by DETSA. Funding for the JPP ceases in December 2002. The majority of the schools on the Central Coast are serviced. Schools excluded are in the northern part of the region -Gorokan, Northlakes and Lakes Anglican Grammar. These schools receive service by a Newcastle provider, although their location may put them at some disadvantage. The objectives of the JPP is to assist young people, aged between 15 to 19, make the transition from school to work through the provision of assistance that focuses on the skills and knowledge required to reduce the risk of their becoming unemployed. The program provides assistance in obtaining training and employment, focussing on new apprenticeships, career and vocational guidance and ongoing support and tracking for all participants for a period of 12 months. Although assistance is open to all young people who are eligible (15–19 year old school leavers or students at risk of leaving school), providers are required to target assistance to VET students, students with poor literacy or numeracy skills, those from non-English speaking backgrounds, early school leavers and indigenous Australians. Youth Connections works closely with the school community, conducting talks and workshops for students in Years 10 and 12. Specialists (e.g. career advisors) within the school system generally refer Year 9 and 11 students to the JPP if they leave


school early. The introduction and development of the Triple C (see below) program now means that the majority of Year 12 and early school leavers are tracked, destination managed and, where appropriate, referred to the JPP. In 2000, over 500 clients were case managed, the majority being early leavers. This number has increased with each year of the program, suggesting that there is a growing awareness of the resources available to young people leaving school. This has arisen due to the development of a strong working relationship between Youth Connections and the school community. Commercial confidentiality restricts the release of detailed data. The services provided by the JPP are similar in some respects to those provided by the Job Network. However JPP participants receive a wider range of services and ongoing support for a period of 12 months. Job network services are based on commercial considerations and unless young people are eligible for intensive assistance, the level of assistance and advice may be minimal. Youth Connections have remarked that they receive a substantial number of inquiries about the program from young people who are ineligible to participate. This would suggest that circumstances in the Central Coast might warrant an extension of the eligibility guidelines for JPP participation. When asked about the problems encountered in service delivery of the JPP, the service provider identified four key issues: • Program delivery is affected adversely by rigid official structures and guidelines.

This includes the inflexibility of contracts and the incapacity to adjust funding to meet existing needs. Additionally, the structures are set up such that there is a focus on service delivery (i.e. meeting contractual obligations) rather than on outcomes (i.e. meeting the aims of the program).

• A lack of training places for clients who leave school with a poor academic record

and require targeted training to improve their skills and employability. The courses that are most useful to such clients (pre-vocational/pre-apprenticeship and certificate level courses) are not readily available because training providers have little incentive to tender for funding for courses aimed at ‘at risk’ students (possibly reflecting the low profitability of such courses), and, traditional training services lack the flexibility required in devising courses to assist transition.

• A lack of coordination of training and training providers resulting from the

commercial (and therefore competitive) nature of the enterprises. This has inhibited the development of a coordinated program targeted at meeting the needs of clients rather than at meeting tender requirements.

• A lack of affordable transport makes it difficult for young people (particularly those

from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds) to attend training and work. These cost factors should be considered in the tender process in order to assist young people with such costs. Additionally, a more coordinated approach (coordinating transport with the assistance of bus companies) would be beneficial.

5.1.2 Central Coast Connect (Triple C) – Youth Connections The Triple C Program was managed by Youth Connections in 2001. The programs continuation in 2002 is subject to funding availability. Around 3,000 people were


expected to go through the program in 2001. By the end of August 2001 some 545 early school leavers had gone through the program. The program provides support and destination management to school leavers (aged between 14 and 19 years) for 12 months after they leave school, even for those who have found jobs. The program is a conduit to the JPP, with young people often referred to the JPP for individual case management. The program is the main source of school leavers destination data for the Central Coast. Table 39 indicates the destinations of those school leavers in 2001. Most participants were referred to the JPP (24%), while almost one-fifth were school transfers. Table 39: Destination of school leavers, February-August 2001

Destination No. % Register with Jobs Pathway Program 133 24 Transfer 106 19 Unknown 52 10 Employed (full time) 40 7 Employed (part time) 38 7 TAFE 36 7 Unable to contact 31 6 Course at private provider 27 5 Move out of area 29 5 Other 21 4 Apprenticeship 14 3 Traineeship 15 3 Unemployed 3 1 Total 545 100 Source: Youth Connections (personal correspondence) The majority of school leavers going through the program in 2001 were from Year 11 (50%), followed by Year 9 (19%), Year 10 (18%), Year 12 (13%) and one from Year 8. Recommendation 11: Investigate the possibilities of improving destination data by combining the post-school tracking elements in the JPP and Triple C programs. Consideration should be given to the provision of permanent funding for the Triple C program as it is the primary source of destination data for the Region. Recommendation 12: The JPP requires a long-term arrangement to ensure it’s effective operation. A framework that embeds the relationship between schools, JPP and Triple C service providers should be formalised so that disruption is minimised if new/other suppliers are contracted to supply these services.


5.1.3 Work Out Lighthouse Project – Youth Connections The Work Out Lighthouse project was managed by Youth Connections in 2001. It provides workplace learning for students with disabilities. It is a one-off project, with funding available only for one year. Some 77 students participated in the program in 2001 and around 98 are anticipated to participate in 2002. Funding for the program is available to the end of 2003.

5.1.4 Central Coast Work Placement – Youth Connections Youth Connections manages the Central Coast Work Placement Program. The program coordinated structured workplace learning for students as part of their VET. The program is funded by a consortium of State (Board of Vocational Education and Training, BVET) and federal (Enterprise Careers and Education Foundation, ECEF) bodies. Funding through the ECEF has been renewed until December 2002 with a small increase. BVET funding has also been renewed until December 2002 but has been reduced considerably. In 2001, the program found work placements for around 1,500 (70%) of the 2,156 students undertaking VET in the Region (it is not known if this is defined geographically or along school district boundaries). Participation in school-based VET is expected to increase to approximately 2,820 in 2002, with an increase in both Year 11 (1,725) and Year 12 (1,095) participation. Some 537 businesses are involved in offering VET places (see Table 40). Most placements are in the hospitality, Information Technology and Construction industries. Table 40: VET participation by business type, 2001

Businesses Students Students Industry No. No. %

Hospitality 136 736 34 Information Technology 112 345 16 Construction 57 302 14 Retail 104 228 11 Business services and admin 48 213 10 Furnishings 14 137 6 Metal and engineering 17 79 4 Tourism 15 46 2 Primary industries 16 38 2 Electrical technology 18 32 1 Total 537 2,156 100 Source: Youth Connections (personal correspondence)

5.1.5 Plan it Youth – Youth Connections Plan It Youth is a mentoring program open to anyone in Year 10 who is considering leaving school early but is uncertain what they want to do when they leave. The program is co-located within Youth Connections. Currently around five high schools are involved in the program (Wyong, Tumbi Umbi, Berkeley Vale, Kincumber and Woy Woy) as well as Wyong and Gosford TAFE. The program is funded by NSW DET, and will run until February 2002 under current funding arrangements.


There have been 165 participants since the inception of the program in 1998. Around 80 students were involved in 2001. Of those students participating in the program, around 80 per cent went onto structured training or employment.

5.1.6 Job Placement, Employment and Training Program (JPET) – Work Wise

The Job Placement, Employment and Training (JPET) program is aimed at assisting young people aged 15-21 years (with priority to be given to those aged 15 to 19), who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, to secure sustainable futures. This is achieved through the provision of personalised services to assist in developing life skills and improving access to education and training. The JPET program aims to overcome a multitude of barriers, from insecure housing and a general lack of support structures to addiction, behavioural problems and a lack of life skills and education. There is no time limitation on the provision of services to JPET participants. The JPET program on the Central Coast is managed by Work Wise. Work Wise is based at four locations in the Region (Gosford, Wyong, Ettalong Beach and Gorokan). The majority of JPET clients are referred to the program by Centrelink, with lesser numbers being self-referrals or referrals form the Department of Juvenile Justice and other agencies. While the JPET contract is for a specific number of placements, intakes have exceeded placements in the last year. The majority of clients going through the program last year were between 16 and 17 years of age; most were without a School Certificate and had poor literacy and numeracy skills. The vast majority of clients were homeless, while most others were either ex-offenders or persons deemed ‘at risk’. A small number were State Wards or Mutual Obligation clients. Around 14 per cent of clients were indigenous Australian’s, while no NESB clients were involved in the program. Ms Linda Lawrence (Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs) has suggested that indigenous youth have strong family connections and are less likely to require the resources offered by the program. She also suggests that indigenous youth are more likely to utilise the services offered by indigenous support groups rather than go through government programs. When asked about the problems encountered in service delivery for the JPET, four key issues were identified: • There is a lack of safe, stable and affordable accommodation (emergency,

medium and long term) for young people. There are only two emergency accommodation services providing 12 beds for the whole Central Coast, while three services provide 18 beds for medium term stays. It is estimated that only 1 in 4 young persons are able to obtain accommodation assistance when required.

• A lack of affordable public transport, which inhibits young people’s ability to get to

appointments, work, training, and recreational activities. This particularly affects young people in Wyong.

• There is limited education and training opportunities for early school leavers. In

particular, there is a need for courses that provide job ready skills and relevant work experience.

http://jpet2000.detya.gov.au/Information/#TopofPage


• Access to health services, especially Detox programs and mental health

counselling, is poor. Recommendation 13: As with the JPP, JPET should be conducted on the basis of long-term funding arrangements to provide service suppliers with a solid foundation for developing relationships with clients and other service providers.

5.1.7 Other programs Table 41 shows the number of young people in various government programs provided by Centrelink. No comparable information has been made available for NSW. A total of 3,443 people aged 19 or less utilise the services shown. Table 41: Centrelink services provided to Central Coast

youth, 2001 Type of service 19 or less

No. 20-24 No.

Youth allowance 2,921 924 Newstart allowance 0 1,417 Job seeker diary 442 823 JET program 15 87 Work for the dole 36 83 Mutual Obligation 17 46 Community support program 5 32 Literacy & numeracy 5 3 Financial supplement loan 0 3 Green corps 2 1 Total 3,443 3,419 Source: Centrelink (personal correspondence) The Youth Action Project is likely to have information on other youth services.

5.2 Labour market programs

5.2.1 Job Network The Job Network was introduced in 1998 to replace the Commonwealth Employment Service. The Job Network set up a market for job placement services in which providers compete for contracts to place unemployed persons into jobs or training. There are four primary services provided by Job Network members:

• Job Matching – matches clients against existing vacancies

• Job Search Training – assists to improve clients’ job search skills

• Intensive Assistance – identifies and overcomes barriers to employment through training and up-skilling


• New Enterprise Incentive Scheme – assists clients to develop their own

business For young people disconnected from the school system, the Job Network is the main structure for seeking employment, upgrading skills or pursuing training. To access Job Network services, clients must first register with Centrelink. Young people deemed ‘at risk’ of disconnection from work and training pathways (that is, those without the School Certificate) can access any service without having to have been on unemployment benefits for 12 twelve months. Centrelink assesses the needs of the person and recommends a program accordingly. The programs are tiered according to the level of risk: Job Matching is generally provided to low risk clients; Job Search Training is provided to those at a higher risk of remaining unemployed, and; Intensive Assistance is for those deemed to be in the highest risk category. There are seven organisations providing Job Network services at twenty locations on the Central Coast. Table 42 lists the Job Network service providers, their location and the services they provide. The Job Network members are concentrated in five areas on the Central Coast, possibly reflecting appropriate office accommodation. In the light of the transport difficulties experienced in the Region, the concentration of service providers may impede young people from effectively accessing services.


Table 42: Job Network providers on the Central Coast

Job Network Service Location Service Type

Business Enterprise Cntr Northside Ltd

East Gosford New Enterprise Incentive Scheme

First Contact Human Resources

Ettalong Job Matching, Intensive Assistance


The Entrance Job Matching, Intensive Assistance


Gosford Job Matching, Intensive Assistance, New Enterprise Incentive Scheme


Wyong Job Matching, Intensive Assistance, New Enterprise Incentive Scheme

IPA Personnel Gosford Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

IPC Employment Ettalong Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

IPC Employment The Entrance Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

IPC Employment Lake Haven Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

IPC Employment Gosford Job Matching, Job Search Training, Intensive Assistance

IPC Employment Wyong Job Matching, Job Search Training, Intensive Assistance

Job Futures/ET Australia Gosford Job Matching, Job Search Training

Job Futures/ET Australia Woy Woy Job Matching, Job Search Training

Job Futures/Samaritans Wyong Job Matching, Job Search Training

Mission Employment Ettalong Job Matching, Job Search Training, Intensive Assistance

The Salvation Army Employment Plus

Ettalong Job Matching, Intensive Assistance


The Entrance Job Matching, Intensive Assistance


Charmhaven Job Matching, Intensive Assistance


Gosford Job Matching, Intensive Assistance


Wyong Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (http://jobsearch.gov.au/jnm)

Most Job Network service providers on the Central Coast provide Job Matching and Intensive Assistance services. Six provide Job Search Training, while three are involved in the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme.

5.2.1.1 Job Network participation by young people Obtaining information on the Job Network in the Central Coast was difficult. Publicly available sources, such as publications and the internet, do not have the level of detail required. One of the problems with publicly available Job Network data is that the Central Coast is not identified as a separate region but included in the Sydney Region.


Job Network information was sought from the Department of Employment and Small Business. Commercial confidentiality restricted access to information, however, information on the total number of 15-20 years olds commencing Job Matching, Job Search, Intensive Assistance and Work for the Dole programs was provided. This information is shown in Table 43. Since the introduction of the Job Network in early 1998, there have been 2,929 young people (aged 15-20) placed into employment by Job Matching services. Over the same period 1,525 young persons undertook Intensive Assistance training with providers. Around 577 young people have commenced Job Search training since 1998. Since it was introduced in 2000, around 272 young people have participated in Work for the Dole programs. This data may be subject to double-counting problems (i.e. it captures clients who have commenced multiple programs). Table 43: Program commencements for 15-20 age group in Central Coast

Employer Service Area Year Eligible Job

Matching Placements

Intensive Assistance

Commencements

Job Search Training

Commencements

Work for Dole Commencements

1998 448 365 67 0 1999 1,014 392 127 0 2000 803 361 179 116 2001* 664 407 204 156 Total 2,929 1,525 577 272 * Data to 9 November 2001 (Central Coast Employment Services Area includes major centres of: Ettalong, Gosford, The Entrance and Wyong) Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (personal correspondence) Centrelink provided information on Job Network participation by young people both in the Central Coast and for Australia as a whole.5 This information is summarised in Tables 44 and 45, which show the number of people in the 15-19 and 20-24 age groups using Job Network services. The tables also show participation of these groups as a proportion of the total population (as at 30 June 2000) in the regions. Table 44: Job Network participation in the Central Coast Job Network Program 15-19

No. 20-24 No.

15-19 % of population


Jobsearch/Job Matching 703 1,069 3.7 6.9 Intensive Assistance 82 263 0.4 1.7 Jobsearch Training 4 13 0.0 0.1 New Enterprise Incentive Scheme 0 1 0.0 0.0 Total 789 1,346 4.2 8.6 Source: Centrelink (personal correspondence)

5 The period to which this data applies was not provided, however, the data for the Central Coast and Australia is comparable.


Table 45: Job Network participation in Australia Job Network Program 15-19

No. 20-24 No.



Jobsearch/Job Matching 52,967 80,023 7.7 11.5 Intensive Assistance 9,801 20,894 1.4 3.0 Jobsearch Training 503 928 0.1 0.1 New Enterprise Incentive Scheme 1 30 0.0 0.0 Total 63,272 101,875 9.2 14.6 Source: Centrelink (personal correspondence) The tables indicate that the Central Coast had a lower proportion of 15-19 and 20-24 year olds participating in Job Network than in Australia as a whole, even though the Region’s unemployment rate is higher. This may suggest that young people in the Region may have problems accessing Job Network services or there may be a lower demand for these services.

5.2.1.2 Survey of Job Network members All Job Network members on the Central Coast were contacted and asked to participate in a survey. The survey was designed to find out how many 15-19 year olds were registered in their various programs, whether they conducted other employment programs focusing on young people, and whether they offered programs to young people other than employment service programs. They were also asked to give their opinion of the problems that young people in the Region face in trying to find work. There was a low response rate to the survey, with only one Job Network service provider responding. The one respondent provided anecdotal evidence on the problems their young clients faced in the labour market. They felt that the Central Coast labour market was a difficult market for young people to find employment (the organisation has offices throughout the country and so should be in a position to make this judgement) and that employers’ expectations of young employees were generally unrealistic 6. The respondent felt that many of its young clients lacked confidence and were poor communicators (interestingly, the organisation did not deal with intensive assistance clients, who would be expected to have lower levels of life skills). They also felt that their clients lacked the necessary skills for the type of jobs available in the Region (Information Technology was singled out as an example). The respondent said that many young clients were referred to them with little knowledge of the system, the services available to them and what was expected of them. Young people’s general lack of knowledge of the employment system has been a reoccurring theme while conducting this scan. It was alluded to as a problem for young people by a number of other service providers that were contacted. The results of the student survey conducted by HVRF (see Chapter 7) indicate that young people themselves see job search training and career guidance as an important element in their future employment prospects. 6 A survey of Central Coast businesses was undertaken to gain an insight into their perception of young workers. A review of this survey is undertaken in this report.


Recommendation 14: Review existing strategies that educate young people about the labour market, their options and responsibilities.

5.3 Other programs

5.3.1 The Youth Action Project The Youth Action Project is designed to provide government and non-government agencies with a set of achievable strategies that will improve the outcomes for young people in the Region (Department of Community Services 2001). This will be achieved through more effective planning and an integrated approach to service provision. Stage two of the Youth Action Project has been completed, whereby youth services in nine key areas (access, accommodation, care and protection, community support, crime, education, health and wellbeing, income support and mental health) have been analysed in detail. The Youth Action Project will be a key structure for the Youth Commitment to engage. One area that does not seem to be covered by the Youth Action Project is employment. It may be a worthwhile approach for the Youth Commitment to concentrate on the areas not covered by the Youth Action Plan while having significant input into those that are in order to ensure that the goals of the Youth Commitment are met.

5.3.2 The Jigsaw Project The Jigsaw Project (Central Coast Child and Youth Strategy 2000) was developed by the Regional Coordination Management Group with the aim of developing a regional strategy to improve the health and wellbeing of young people through early intervention and prevention. The Project is co-ordinated by a steering committee of government, non-government and council participants. Its development involved a process of public consultation with stakeholders and interested parties to define the key issues to be addressed by various working groups. One of the issues that the Project did focus on was schooling, with five key areas explored. These are summarised below.

1. Explore alternative structural models for schools, improve educational outcomes and provide support for the emotional needs of students: • Continue consultation and review of school structure • Develop age appropriate structures which maximise choices and support

transition • Consider needs of students marginalised by culture, language or

disabilities.

2. Implement programs to improve school transition processes, social connectedness and emotional wellbeing: • Examine and implement best-practice, effective school structures and

transition programs with emphasis on pre-school to kindergarten, and, primary school to high school

• Consider needs and develop support programs for marginalised students • Develop support programs for families of students who have English as a

second language to understand school system


• Support and expand cross-cultural homework pilot program to assist students whose parents do not have appropriate skills to assist with homework.

3. Continue to review the curriculum to ensure that it meets the educational

needs of young people: • Consider inclusion / expansion of curriculum elements which will increase

the use of technology in the classroom, broaden subject choice and accessibility, and better cater for students’ diverse needs and learning styles

• Advocate for review of the value given to Aboriginal specific courses to raise level of their significance in HSC and tertiary studies.

4. Continue to provide programs in schools that will enhance the development of

life skills and promote tolerance and communication: • Continue to invite inter-agency collaboration in the development and

provision of school based programs • Consider inclusion or expansion of programs designed to promote positive

mental health, prevent violence and bullying, promote safety and injury prevention, promote tolerance of lifestyle and other differences, and improve the attitudes of school communities to children with disabilities and children from diverse backgrounds

• Consider the inclusion or expansion of programs that will equip young people with problem solving skills, life skills, budgeting and cooking skills, and provide practical advice on the transition to work or further training.

5. Continue to provide training for teachers in meeting the educational needs of

students with disabilities, to assist them achieve their full potential in school system: • Provide continued support for programs which provide information for

teachers, such as Learning Together program • Foster closer partnerships between teachers and early intervention

services and allied health therapists. Recommendation 15: The Youth Commitment should seek to engage any existing structures developed through the Youth Action Plan and the Jigsaw Project.

5.3.3 POEM and CATS A POEM (Partnership Outreach Education Model) program, designed to deliver educational services to disconnected young people (Years 10-12) in settings other than a school campus, is to be coordinated by Work Wise. A CATS (Career and Transition Service) pilot program that was developed by Youth Connections to be introduced in 2002 has not received funding. The program was designed to complement existing transition support services and programs by providing transition support to every young person (13-19 years of age) through the development of Learning Pathways and School to Work Transition Plans. The program was to provide transition and destination data, extending follow up surveys to a two-year period.


5.4 Summary • There are many current and proposed services available in the Central Coast to

assist young people. Feedback from service providers suggests that there are factors preventing the effective delivery of these services, however. The most important factor seems to be the lack of a coordinated approach between the various service providers. This corresponds with what is likely to be a conflict between the objectives of the service provider and the objectives of the program they either manage or service. Given the type of programs referred to in this chapter, this conflict is likely to prove an even greater barrier to effective service delivery than might normally be the case. Ultimately, it should be the objectives of the program that drive how services are delivered.

• It has been suggested that service capacity is insufficient in some areas. The

lack of relevant training courses, the lack of accommodation, poor public transport and the lack of treatment facilities for various health problems (such as addiction) are highlighted. In part this may be due to the lack of coordination between service providers. Also, insufficient funding may play its part.

• Insufficient funding is often highlighted as a barrier to effective service delivery.

This may be due to contracts giving insufficient recognition (and hence funding) to the full range of services that are provided in order to deliver effective outcomes. It may also be the result of contract inflexibility, with funding determined on the basis of assumed need rather than actual demand, leaving little room for service providers to adjust programs in order to meet new circumstances. As such, a funding model that is driven by market considerations may not be appropriate for dealing with the type of services described above. The commercially driven nature of the service environment also seems to restrict cooperation and may lead to the inefficient diffusion of scarce funds.

• The Youth Commitment should take advantage of existing programs to develop

the basic framework for the implementation of the Youth Commitment, particularly in areas other than pathways or employment where projects or strategies have (or are being) developed.


6 Social issues It is difficult to define the social issues that are relevant to the success of young people’s transition and integration into society. This chapter attempts to provide a general overview of various issues. However, it is likely that the Youth Action Plan and the Jigsaw Project will have more detailed information on these issues.

6.1 Health status of Central Coast youth A number of key health indicators are likely to reflect the general level of social connection for young people. These include indicators of mental health (depression, suicide), substance use and the use of health facilities. Key authorities and groups were contacted in an effort to obtain this information. The key contacts include the Central Coast Area Health Service, the Central Coast Health Promotions Unit and the NSW Premier’s Department. A key source of health information for the Central Coast are the 1997 and 1998 NSW Health Surveys (NSW Health Department). These surveys are based upon self-assessment ratings provided by respondents to various health questions. Other information was supplied by the Central Coast Area Health Service in the form of attendance statistics at health services.

6.1.1 Youth depression and suicide The available information on depression and suicide (Health Promotions Unit, Suicide on the Central Coast, various reports), does not suggest any major differences between Central Coast and NSW youth. In terms of depression and anxiety, young people, particularly males, tend to fare better than the whole population in general. Table 46 shows the mental health self-ratings by respondents to the NSW Health Survey in 1997 and 1998. In terms of psychological stress, 10.8 per cent of 16-24 year olds in the Central Coast had a high stress score compared to 17.1 per cent for NSW. Fewer males (4.4%) than females (17.2%) on the Central Coast had a high stress rating. On average, 16-24 year olds on the Central Coast had a lower incidence of psychological stress than the general population. A higher proportion of 16-24 year olds said they suffered from anxiety or depression than was the case for stress. Anxiety and depression tended to be more prominent in females (24.9%) than males (20.1%). In contrast to the stress rating, a higher number of Central Coast 16-24 year olds (22.5%) suffered from anxiety or depression than for NSW generally (21.5%). As above, 16-24 year olds in the Region had a lower incidence of anxiety or depression than the general population.


Table 46: Mental health self-rating results from NSW Health Surveys

Males %

Females %

Persons %

Self-rated affliction Age Central

Coast NSW Central

Coast NSW Central

Coast NSW

16 - 24 4.4 12.8 17.2 21.3 10.8 17.1 High psychological stress score All 8.6 10.8 15.4 14.8 12.0 12.8

16 - 24 20.1 15.8 24.9 27.1 22.5 21.5 Moderate to extreme anxiety or depression All 20.2 21.1 27.3 25.9 23.8 23.5 Source: NSW Health Surveys 1997 and 1998 The information that has been gathered on youth suicide on the Central Coast does not provide detailed age breakdowns. Table 47 provides data on the number of suicides over the period 1995-2000. The figures in brackets represent suicides by persons 25 years and younger as a proportion of total suicides in the Region. Table 47: Suicides on the Central Coast, 1995-2000

Age Group 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

<25 2 (7.4%) 9 (18.4%) 9 (17.3%) 5 (9.8%) 7 (18.9%) 8 (21.1%) Total 27 49 52 51 37 38 Source: Health Promotions Unit, Central Coast Health The number of suicides has fluctuated over the period. The proportion of total suicides committed by the 25 years and under age group has averaged around 15.4 per cent of all suicides on the Central Coast over the period. Evidence provided by Central Coast health suggests that not only has the rate of suicide on the Central Coast increased since the mid-1980s, but also the rate of suicide is generally higher than that of NSW. Comparable information for NSW could not be found.

6.1.2 Substance abuse The limited information available on the levels and rates of drug use for Central Coast youth suggests that the prevalence of use, and its consequences, are not too different from elsewhere in NSW. Statistics of offences as recorded by the NSW Police indicate the vast majority of drug offences committed by persons between the ages of 14 and 20 (70% to 80%) are for cannabis possession and/or use. The numbers of cannabis offences are proportionally similar for Wyong, Gosford and NSW (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, personal correspondence). In discussions with youth workers in the Wyong area it was noted that cannabis use is prevalent amongst those youth at risk of leaving school early. While the use of


cannabis decreases in the mid-twenties, the damage to education and employment opportunities has generally been done. In dealing with these youth, a strategy of harm minimisation is pursued: trying to prevent these youth using before and during school and discussing more appropriate situations for use. The youth workers note that alcohol use, particularly binge drinking, has more of a social context and is not as apparent during school. The main drug strategy developed for the Central Coast is the Central Coast Drugs and Community Strategy: Regional Plan of Action – 2000 to 2004, which evolved from the 1999 NSW Drug Summit. The Strategy aims to instil a community-facilitated approach to the drugs issue and provide an integrated management framework.

6.1.3 Access to health services Young people on the Central Coast did not have any more difficulty accessing health services than other NSW youth. The 1997 and 1998 NSW Health Surveys indicate that, on average, 16-24 years olds in the Central Coast found it easier to access health services than those in NSW. They also had higher levels of hospital attendances and visits to general practitioners. Health assistance for the Region’s young people is provided through the Youth Health Service (YHS). The YHS has counselling and youth outreach teams (as well as a psychiatrist) to assist youth. Young people are either referred to the YHS or can contact it directly. Data covering an 18-month period (ending July 2001) shows that 3,290 contacts were made to the YHS (YHS, personal correspondence). The main reasons for contact included: advocacy and support, anxiety and depression (including stress), behavioural issues, household and relationship issues and school issues. In dealing with these issues the YHS provided consultation services, counselling services, information and resources, general support services and referrals to other agencies.

6.2 Youth Crime In 1996, the Central Coast had a lower overall (reported) crime rate for most offences than NSW (Table 48). This possibly reflects the higher proportion of older persons in the Region relative to NSW. Wyong had a slightly higher crime rate for the majority of crimes than Gosford, likely reflecting the relatively disadvantaged socio-economic status of the Wyong area. The most common crimes committed in the Region were theft (such as break-and-enters and motor vehicle theft), malicious damage to property and driving offences. In contrast, the Central Coast had a higher youth crime rate in 1996 than NSW for four of the five top offences committed by 10-20 year olds, the exception being assaults (Table 49). Wyong generally had higher rates of crime for this age group than did Gosford. The most common crime committed by young people in the 10 –20 age group was theft, followed by assault, driving offences, malicious property damage and drug offences. Crimes committed by young people are likely to reflect their relative level of socio-economic disadvantage and access to social infrastructure and support (such as organised activities). The data suggests that Central Coast youth, particularly in the


Wyong LGA, suffer disadvantage. This is also likely to be disruptive to education and employment opportunities. Table 48: Crime rate for the top five offences, 1996*

Theft Assault Driving offences

Malicious damage to property

Drug offences

NSW 6,214 809 769 1,306 335 CC 5,312 733 949 1,294 270 Gosford 5,157 627 719 1,315 247 Wyong 5,505 866 1,237 1,268 297 *Reported crimes per 100,000 people. Estimates based upon 1996 Census population data and may differ from official estimates. Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (personal correspondence) Table 49: Crime rate for top five crimes committed by 10-20 year olds, 1996* Region Theft Assault Driving

offences Malicious damage to property

Drug offences

NSW 3,898 1,146 911 865 653 CC 4,761 1,103 1,042 909 699 Gosford 4,598 924 863 787 744 Wyong 4,970 1,330 1,270 1,064 641 *Reported crimes per 100,000 people in 10-20 year age group. Estimates based upon 1996 Census population data and may differ from official estimates. Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (personal correspondence)

6.3 Access to economic and social infrastructure

6.3.1 Transport The availability of an effective and affordable public transport system is essential for any urbanised community. For a community in an area as large and diverse as the Central Coast it is essential to diffuse the sense of isolation that many young people may have and allow them to access employment opportunities, employment services, educational institutions as well as recreational and entertainment facilities. The evidence that the HVRF has collected suggests that there is a lack of an effective public transport system and that this impedes young people’s access to basic services. The Central Coast is serviced by two private bus companies. While these companies service the major population centres, there is no direct bus route between Gosford and Wyong. Train services along the Great Northern Railway include 14 stations, although no station exists in the coastal areas. This means that any person not directly on a train line is required to connect to train services by either bus or private transport. Information on trip duration and fares would suggest that transport time and cost are inhibiting effective travel. As an example, a trip from Lake Haven to Gosford by public transport (bus and train) would take 70 minutes plus transfer time. The trip would cost $7.40 for an adult and $3.70 for a concession, one way.


This evidence is supported by a number of Job Network service providers and community youth workers, who have indicated that young people find it difficult to get to work and attend job interviews. The problem that young people in the Region face with getting to education and recreational facilities has also been raised. A report by The Premier’s Council for Women/NSW Department for Women (2001) identified the lack of transport on the Central Coast as one of the major factors contributing to women’s feeling of isolation in the Region. The main problems for the bus services were identified as high fares and infrequent services. Train services were also criticised, with the infrequency of trains at Ourimbah Station (the station serving the Central Coast Campus) highlighted as problematic. Young people themselves see the lack of transport as a barrier to employment and social participation. When surveyed by the HVRF, students rated the large distances to travel on the Central Coast as a likely barrier to employment (ranked fourth). Additionally, a 1995 HVRF survey of the use of youth services by young people in the Wyong LGA indicated transport as an important factor in accessing employment and recreation services. The main transport strategy for the Region is the Action for Transport, 2010 (NSW Department of Transport 1998). The major developments under this strategy include a high-speed rail link to Sydney to be completed by 2007. This is expected to cut travel times by 15 minutes. Recommendation 16: To the extent possible, the Youth Commitment should engage existing structures dealing with health, crime and transport issues in the Region. Transport issues should be analysed in more detail. The currently exists a Central Coast Transport Forum which is investigating the issue of transport in the Region more generally.

6.4 Regional development strategies The Central Coast Moving Forward Strategy, coordinated through the State government, is a community-based, consultative process designed to guide future growth and development in the Region. Six main strategies have been identified, including job creation and education and training. The basic mechanism for achieving the goals of the Strategy is action through streamlined organisational arrangements and partnerships. This provides a central focus for action while maintaining an open and consultative process. The proposed structures include: • A single economic development organisation • A regional coordination management group • A regional organisation of Councils. The Strategy would provide an ideal basis for the development and implementation of a Youth Commitment in the Region.


Recommendation 17: Promote links with the Central Coast Moving Forward Strategy structures in developing and implementing a Youth Commitment. The NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning has developed the Shaping the Central Coast Strategy (NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning) to promote sustainable development in the Region. Part of this strategy includes employment generation, particularly through the development of industrial and employment estates.

6.5 Youth Services Gosford and Wyong LGAs have numerous youth services. The type of service and number of providers are shown in Table 50. These have been identified directly from lists provided by the Council’s. There is some disparity of the types of services available in Gosford compared to Wyong, particularly in the areas of health services, indigenous services, information resources and welfare services and leisure and recreational services. Table 50: Youth Services in the Central Coast (number of identified service

providers) Service Gosford Wyong

Accommodation 13 12 Counselling 12 8 Disabilities 3 8 Employment and Training 14 10 Government departments and services 1 8 Health 8 18 Indigenous services 3 11 Information resources and welfare 6 22 Legal Service 9 15 Leisure 57 35 Peak bodies and organisations - 5 Recreation 14 5 Schools and Education 8 14 Youth services 10 11 Source: Gosford and Wyong Councils Youth Services Directories The major youth service providers were contacted and asked about their services in an attempt to assess the demands for youth services in the Region and to determine the current issues, as seen by service providers. The responses are presented in Table 51. The Youth Action Project also looks at the youth services available and may provide a more detailed account of the services available in the Region.


Table 51: Youth services and issues in the Central Coast

Program Description Comments and issues

Wyong A DOCS funded community group providing services at four locations on Central Coast. They have no counsellors so provide youth activities, food etc. but try to maintain an environment of trust and care to be able to refer young people to relevant and helpful authorities and services. Health, abuse etc.

Outreach Berkeley Vale. 12-15 years age group, generally provide activities of sports etc. to keep children occupied – as well as outreach for counselling, health etc.

Cottage, Tumbi Umbi Located in public housing estate. Hunger is main issue as well as isolation, as no public transport. Provide referrals to health, counsellors, refuges.

Firehouse Youth

Jetty at Long Jetty. 15-17 years, drop in centre for referrals to health, counselors, refuges.

Central Coast Youth Support

A project of Wyong/Gosford Community Legal Service funded by DUAP via Area Assistance. Provide support for young people and/or their families that attend Children’s Court on the Central Coast.

1,646 clients at Wyong, 1,496 at Woy Woy from Nov 2000 – Aug 2001.

Links Youth Service

Funded by DOCS, Area Assistance, DUAP. Staff of 8 Youth Workers. Approximately 3,000 clients a year. Seven youth centres open a combined 19 days / week. Age group is 11 –18 years. At seven locations. One interesting service is the Cabin at North Lakes HS. A site shed near school. Programs offered for early school leavers and anger management. Conducted in conjunction with the school.

Socialising is main purpose as, essentially, nothing to do in these areas. Activities include water sports, craft activities, sports. Range of behaviors and socialising problems. Counselling and referrals for full range of issues, health and sexual health (access to contraception etc.), domestic issues. Has been a huge population growth in area with minimal increase in funding. Main issues at the Cabin are lack of hope for employment, sexual health – access to contraception etc. Marijuana use is seen to be having a big effect on youth (smoking before, during and after school). Harm minimisation is main thrust i.e. suggestions for more appropriate times of use than before school etc.

Wyong Neighborh-ood Centre

Funded by DOCS, is a centre based service catering to 12 –18 years. Operates out of Wyong, Gorokan and Wottanobbi Neighbourhood Centres.

Used to offer counselling but demand was huge and unable to supply counsellors, within reasonable time and lost confidence of 'clients'. Cited mismatch between the huge population growth and funding for services. Programs include a before school activities program at Lake Haven Shopping Centre, to combat misbehaviour before school; this includes sports. Numbers around 30-40 in the morning, 10-30 in the afternoon. In conjunction with Wyong, Gorokan and Wodalba HS have programs of Personal Development, Stress, Communication and Bullying. Have discussions, guest speakers and excursions at Wottanobbi.


Table 51 (cont.) Gosford The Web Peninsula Adolescent Support Project

Open for 8 years supporting youth and families in the Peninsula area. Draw young people from Woy Woy, Ettalong, Umina, Hardies Bay, Provide activities for 12 - 18 year olds in a drug and alcohol free environment. Advocacy and referral, job assistance - resume and application writing Service is the only youth centre in Central Coast open on Friday and Saturday nights with around 150 young people there on each. Also open on Wednesday and Thursday and see 30 to 40 young people on each day mostly after school but due to high rates of early school leavers they provide regume and application writing and education of government employment services for those who come in during day

Philosophy is essentially to keep these young people active by providing recreation activities and in this positive social environment they are more willing to talk to youth workers about any issues they have. Future plans are to have a GP and nurse visiting 3 times a week, and they have possibly secured funding for a drug and alcohol counsellor for the next 2 years, including regular 5 hours a week at the 2 high schools Have a good relationship with counsellors at local Woy Woy and Umina High Schools, and are available to talk with students with problems away from school and resolve issues

6.6 Summary • The evidence presented on various social issues has reinforced the view that an

obvious social divide exists between Gosford and Wyong as supported by crime data and the anecdotal evidence on transport problems.

• However, a more thorough investigation of youth social issues is required before

definitive conclusions, and subsequent solutions, can be reached. In particular, the information on available services is deficient. The Youth Action Project would be a good reference point to start to develop a good information base. Service providers could be involved in providing information on the types of services they provide and the issues that confront them in delivering.


7 Central Coast student survey The HVRF undertook a student survey in the Central Coast to gather information on young people’s perceptions about school and work. The survey questionnaire can be found at Appendix 1. A total sample of 4,763 students were surveyed from 18 high schools located on the Central Coast. Year 9 (1,855), Year 10 (1,889) and Year 11 (1,019) students participated. The survey was conducted during October 2001. The timing of the survey did not allow Year 12 students to participate. Not all high schools nor all Year 9, 10 and 11 students in the Central Coast participated in the survey. However, given the size of the final sample it is reasonable to conclude that the results accurately represent the opinions, knowledge and aspirations of Year 9, 10 and 11 students on the Central Coast.

7.1 Respondent Profile

7.1.1 Participating high schools Table 52: Schools that participated in HVRF survey

Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 School name No. % No. % No. %

Berkeley Vale Community HS 149 8.0 149 7.9 93 9.1 Erina HS 159 8.6 141 7.5 85 8.3 Gosford Christian School 41 2.2 30 1.6 21 2.1 Gosford HS 148 8.0 159 8.4 80 7.9 Green Point Baptist Christian School 87 4.7 87 4.6 47 4.6 Henry Kendall HS 46 2.5 161 8.5 0 0.0 Hopetown School 6 0.3 5 0.3 4 0.4 Kincumber HS 135 7.3 82 4.3 70 6.9 Lisarow HS 61 3.3 78 4.1 107 10.5 Narara Valley HS 132 7.1 131 6.9 0 0.0 St Edward's Secondary College 79 4.3 165 8.7 133 13.1 St Joseph's Girls' HS 149 8.0 98 5.2 0 0.0 Terrigal HS 173 9.3 210 11.1 101 9.9 The Entrance HS 173 9.3 91 4.8 65 6.4 Tumbi Umbi HS 110 5.9 91 4.8 0 0.0 Umina HS 28 1.5 103 5.5 96 9.4 Woy Woy HS 10 0.5 22 1.2 66 6.5 Wyong HS 169 9.1 86 4.6 51 5.0 Total 1,855 100 1,889 100 1,019 100

7.1.2 Local Government Area Of those students who completed the survey, a higher proportion were from schools in the Gosford LGA. The proportion of respondents from the Wyong LGA would have been higher if students from the Wadalba, Northlakes, and Gorokan High Schools, and from St Peter’s Catholic College, St Cecilia’s School and Lakes Anglican Grammar School had participated in the survey.


Table 53: Location of schools Local Government Area Year 9

% Year 10

% Year 11

% Gosford LGA 66.7 77.3 79.0 Wyong LGA 33.3 22.7 21.0

7.1.3 School type Of those students who completed the survey the large majority were from Government schools. Table 54: Type of school School Type Year 9

% Year 10

% Year 11

% Government 81.1 72.0 80.4 Independent 18.9 28.0 19.6

7.1.4 Gender The majority of Year 10 and 11 students who completed the survey were male, while a higher proportion of Year 9 students who undertook the survey were female. Table 55: Gender of survey participants Gender Year 9

% Year 10

% Year 11

% Male 47.8 51.7 56.6 Female 51.6 47.6 43.3 Not stated 0.6 0.7 0.1

7.2 Intentions to complete schooling

7.2.1 Year 9 intentions A total of 94.7 per cent of Year 9 students indicated that they intended to complete Year 10 studies. Only 0.4 per cent stated they would not complete Year 10. Some 69.9 per cent of Year 9 students intended to complete Year 12, with 9.4 per cent saying that they would not continue onto Year 12, while 19.9 per cent were undecided. This suggests that a large proportion of students would benefit from some form of career advice.


Table 56: Year 9 intensions to complete school Do you intend to complete… Year 10

% Year 12

% Yes 94.7 69.9 No 0.6 9.4 Don't know 4.0 19.9 Not stated 0.7 0.8 Year 9 respondents from both Gosford and Wyong LGAs were similarly intent on completing Year 10, however, respondents from the Gosford LGA were significantly more intent on completing Year 12. Table 57: Year 9 intensions to complete school by location Do you intend to complete… by LGA Year 10

Yes %

Year 12 Yes %

Gosford LGA 96.0 74.5 Wyong LGA 93.9 62.0 Year 9 respondents from both government and independent schools were similarly intent on completing Year 10, however respondents from the Independent schools were significantly more intent on completing Year 12. Table 58: Year 9 intensions to complete school by school type Do you intend to complete… by school type Year 10

Yes %

Year 12 Yes %

Government 95.2 68.5 Independent 95.7 78.4

7.2.2 Year 10 Intentions Of Year 10 students, 97.5 per cent said they would complete Year 10. Around 78.3 per cent said they would complete Year 12, with 10.9 per cent intending to leave before Year 12 while 10.2 per cent were undecided. Table 59: Year 10 intensions to complete school Do you intend to complete… Year 10

% Year 12

% Yes 97.5 78.3 No 0.6 10.9 Don't know 1.4 10.2 Not stated 0.5 0.6


Year 10 respondents from both Gosford and Wyong LGAs were similarly intent on completing Year 10, however respondents from the Gosford LGA were significantly more intent on completing Year 12. Table 60: Year 10 intensions to complete school by location Do you intend to complete… by LGA Year 10

Yes %

Year 12 Yes %

Gosford LGA 98.2 81.1 Wyong LGA 97.4 70.8 Year 10 respondents from both government and independent schools were similarly intent on completing Year 10, however respondents from the Independent schools were significantly more intent on completing Year 12. Table 61: Year 10 intensions to complete school by school type Do you intend to complete… by school type Year 10

Yes %

Year 12 Yes %

Government 98.1 77.1 Independent 97.4 85.7

7.2.3 Year 11 intentions Almost all (99.1%) of Year 11 students said they would complete Year 11, while 93.3 per cent intended to complete Year 12. Table 62: Year 11 intensions to complete school Do you intend to complete… Year 11

% Year 12

% Yes 99.1 93.3 No 0.5 1.5 Don't know 0.4 5.4 Not stated 0.0 0.1 Year 11 respondents from both Gosford and Wyong LGAs were similarly intent on completing Year 11 and Year 12. Table 63: Year 11 intensions to complete school by location Do you intend to complete… by LGA Year 11

Yes %

Year 12 Yes %

Gosford LGA 99.4 93.8 Wyong LGA 98.1 92.0


Year 11 respondents from both government and independent schools were similarly intent on completing Year 11 and Year 12. Table 64: Year 11 intensions to complete school by school type Do you intend to complete… by school type Year 11

Yes %

Year 12 Yes %

Government 99.1 93.5 Independent 99.0 93.0 The results indicate that respondents from Year 9 and 10 from the Wyong LGA and government schools were less likely to intend to complete Year 12 than respondents from the Gosford LGA or independent schools. However, it should be noted that Year 11 respondents from both LGAs and from both types of schools were similarly intent on completing Year 12.

7.3 Immediate post-school destination

7.3.1 What do you want to do? Just under one-third of students wished to go on to university studies while around 10 per cent wanted to attend TAFE or a similar institution. An apprenticeship or traineeship was desired more by Year 9 (12.3%) and Year 10 (14.8%) students than those in Year 11 (7.9%). Around 11 per cent of students wanted a full-time job after they left school, with a lower proportion of respondents (6.9% to 8.7%) wanting part-time employment. Travel was preferred by a sizeable proportion of respondents (between 12% and 16%), while only around three per cent wished to do nothing after completing school. Around 10 per cent of students were undecided about what they would do upon leaving school. This suggests that a pro-active career advice program would be beneficial. Table 65: Students post-school preferences What do you WANT to do in the first year after you leave high school?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

University 28.4 28.3 31.9 Travel 12.2 15.2 15.8 Full time job 11.3 11.4 11.9 TAFE or another institute 10.2 9.5 9.7 Part time / casual job 6.9 7.6 8.7 Apprenticeship / Traineeship 12.3 14.8 7.9 Nothing / hang out 3.3 3.0 3.0 Don't know 13.6 8.9 10.8 Not stated 1.9 1.2 0.2


7.3.2 What are you most likely to do? When asked what they would ‘most likely do’ after leaving school, the responses changed slightly. While university remained the likely destination of the largest proportion of students, an increasing proportion of students expected to be in part-time employment or expected to pursue full-time work. A lower proportion of students felt they would enter an apprenticeship or traineeship or a TAFE course. Proportionately fewer Year 9 students (26.8%) expected to go to university than wanted to, while more Year 10 (28.6%) and Year 11 (32.8%) expected to go to university. The proportion of students expecting to travel fell substantially, while around 4.5 per cent felt they would be doing nothing after leaving school. Around 10 per cent of students did not know what they were likely to do. Table 66: Students post-school probable outcomes What are you MOST LIKELY to do in your first year after you leave high school?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

University 26.8 28.6 32.8 Full time job 11.1 11.2 13.7 Part time/casual job 14.4 14.0 13.3 Travel 7.3 6.5 9.3 TAFE or another institute 12.1 11.2 9.0 Apprenticeship/Traineeship 10.4 12.9 6.3 Nothing/hang out 4.5 4.7 4.4 Don't know 11.8 9.5 10.0 Not stated 1.6 1.5 1.1

7.3.3 What do you think will prevent you from doing what you want?

The reasons for the differences in what students wanted to do and what they were most likely to do upon leaving school were identified. Money (presumably, the lack thereof) was given as the main barrier to achieving the preferred post-schools outcome. Poor school marks was the next most common reason given, particularly by Year 11 respondents. The lack of motivation (particularly for Year 11 respondents), difficulties finding work and lack of qualifications or training were also provided as reasons.


Table 67: Barriers to preferred post-school outcome If what you WANT to do is different from what you are MOST LIKELY to do, what do you think will prevent you from doing what you want?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Money 20.3 25.3 34.3 UAI score / school marks 15.4 17.2 23.0 Lack of motivation 5.1 5.7 10.7 Qualifications / training 2.9 2.9 4.6 Difficulty finding work 4.8 5.5 4.3 Difficulty getting into course 3.2 3.2 4.3 Parents 4.8 3.9 3.3 Undecided about career 3.9 2.4 2.3 Difficulty getting into apprenticeship / traineeship 1.4 3.4 1.5 Nothing 0.6 0.8 1.3 Physical restrictions 0.8 0.7 0.8 Other 4.2 4.5 5.8 Don't know 6.0 2.4 3.6

7.4 Working outside of school

7.4.1 Do you have a job? When asked if they currently held a job, 29.8 per cent of Year 9, 48.0 per cent of Year 10 and 59.5 per cent of Year 11 students stated that they did work. Table 68: Current employment status Do you currently work in a job? Year 9

% Year 10

% Year 11

% Yes 29.8 48.0 59.5 No 68.2 50.6 39.8 Not stated 2.0 1.4 0.7

7.4.2 How many hours do you work? The average number of hours per week worked by students with jobs was between 10 and 11 hours, with the majority of respondents working between 5 and 10 hours per week. A sizeable proportion of Year 9 (13.5%), Year 10 (19.1%) and Year 11 (15.8%) students stated that on average they worked more than 15 hours per week. While work provides valuable experience and skills, excessive work may adversely affect schooling. It is uncertain whether students, particularly those working greater than 15 hours a week, work out of choice or necessity. Almost 20 per cent of Year 11 respondents highlighted income support as a way to assist them prepare for the labour market (see Table 71).


Table 69: Current average weekly working hours If you do currently work, how many hours a week do you work on average?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

<5 hours 13.5 12.3 10.9 5-10 hours 51.2 42.7 46.3 10.5-15 hours 21.8 25.9 26.7 >15 hours 13.5 19.1 15.8 Average hours per week 10.3 11.0 10.7

7.5 Qualification aspirations Students were asked what qualifications they felt were required to obtain the job they wanted. Approximately 30.4 per cent of Year 9 students, 36.2 per cent of Year 10 students and 41.8 per cent of Year 11 students felt that a university qualification was necessary. TAFE qualifications were deemed necessary by between 9.7 per cent and 11.3 per cent of the respondents. In total 40.2 per cent of Year 9 students, 47.5 per cent of Year 10 students, and 51.5 per cent of Year 11 students felt that they would require some form of tertiary education to obtain the job they wanted. Between 14.2 per cent and 19.4 per cent of all students felt that a HSC was required as a minimum. Between 14.0 per cent and 24.3 per cent of students did not know what qualification was required to obtain their preferred job. Again this is suggestive of the need to better inform students of the correct pathways to achieving their preferred career outcome. Table 70: Perceived qualification required for preferred employment What qualification do you think you need to get the job you would like?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Masters / PhD 8.2 5.2 6.6 Bachelor degree 22.2 31.0 35.2 TAFE Diploma 9.8 11.3 9.7 HSC 14.2 15.9 19.4 School Certificate 12.9 14.4 7.1 Don't know 24.3 14.0 17.4 Other 4.8 5.3 4.6 Not stated 3.6 2.8 0.0

7.6 Willingness to travel for work Around 50 per cent of all respondents said they were willing to travel to Sydney for work, and more than 20 per cent were prepared to travel overseas. Around nine per cent of students indicated they were unwilling to travel outside of the Central Coast to obtain work. This would suggest that young people recognise that the Region’s labour market under performs in terms of job creation and that Sydney is a key work destination for Central Coast residents.


Table 71: Work destination and travel If you could not find a job on the Central Coast, where else would you be willing to work?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Sydney 50.2 52.9 52.2 Overseas 21.0 23.7 33.9 Anywhere in Australia 17.4 18.0 21.7 Newcastle / Hunter Region 21.9 26.8 21.4 Other NSW 14.9 16.3 17.2 Central Coast only 9.4 9.1 8.9 Don't know 8.6 6.9 8.7 * The respondents were permitted to choose as many responses as they wished for this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%.

7.7 Difficulties finding work

7.7.1 How difficult will it be to find work? More than 60 per cent of the respondents thought it would be either very difficult or reasonably difficult to obtain employment after they completed their education. Around 18 per cent felt it would not be difficult, and around 15 per cent said they did not know. Table 72: Perceptions on obtaining employment How difficult do you think it will be to get a job when you complete your education?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Very difficult 7.3 7.6 7.8 Reasonably difficult 57.6 59.0 58.1 Not difficult at all 18.2 17.5 17.5 Don't know 15.1 13.9 15.1 Not stated 1.8 2.0 1.6

7.7.2 Why might it be difficult to find work? Those students who indicated that it would be difficult to get a job were asked why they believed it would be difficult. Too much competition for jobs was by far the most common response for all student years followed by not enough jobs. While these answers are based upon the student’s perceptions, this does tend to correspond with the view presented in this report that the Central Coast labour market may not generate sufficient employment opportunities. The lack of qualifications and/or skills of students and the distances to travel were also put forward by students as likely reasons why it might be difficult to gain employment.


Table 73: Perceived barriers to obtaining employment Why might it be difficult for you to get a job? Year 9

% Year 10

% Year 11

% Too much competition for jobs 41.3 50.2 56.1 Not enough jobs 27.4 31.6 35.1 Lack of qualifications / skills 17.5 16.0 17.8 Distances to travel 12.1 11.2 12.0 No idea how to search for a job 11.1 8.5 9.9 Lack of income support 6.5 5.5 8.6 Employers expect too much 10.6 7.6 7.6 Not enough help from government / schools 6.9 4.6 6.2 Other 6.1 8.4 6.8 Don’t know 19.5 16.0 14.5 Not stated 5.6 5.3 3.1 * The respondents were permitted to choose as many responses as they wished for this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%.

7.8 Support from school Students identified the imposition by schools of work-relevant curriculum courses as the most important element in improving their chances of gaining employment. This is closely related to the provision of work skills and work experience. More job search training and career guidance was also highlighted as important in preparing them for the workforce. This suggests that students are keen to acquire more vocational training and experience as well as participate in programs that provide career guidance and job search skills. Income support was identified as important by 18.2 per cent of Year 11 students, a higher proportion than for the other years. With around 60 per cent of Year 11 students in some form of employment, this may reflect the desire by these students to concentrate on studies, free of the distractions of earning an income. Table 74: Area’s to improve school career assistance How do you think schools could better prepare you to find a job?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

More courses that are relevant to work 46.6 45.4 48.2 More job search training 37.5 35.9 35.6 More career guidance and advice 33.3 28.2 34.2 Provide work skills 31.1 25.8 28.1 More vocational / work experience 31.4 33.9 27.6 Income support 12.7 13.8 18.2 Don’t know 10.5 11.4 11.6 Other 3.5 5.4 3.3 Not stated 3.8 3.1 2.6

* The respondents were permitted to choose as many responses as they wished for this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%.


7.9 Work experience through school

7.9.1 Have you undertaken work experience? When asked if they had undertaken any work experience at school, 6.1 per cent of Year 9 students, 39.5 per cent of Year 10 students and 55.6 per cent of Year 11 students said that they had. There may have been a timing issue that has had an impact on the responses, given that many students undertake work experience at the end of the school year. Table 75: School work experience Have you undertaken any work experience through your school?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Yes 6.1 39.5 55.6 No 91.5 58.8 43.2 Not stated 2.4 1.7 1.2

7.9.2 How did you benefit from work experience? The majority of students identified the experience of being in the workforce as a benefit of work experience. Exactly how they benefited is uncertain, although it is likely that the other responses hold some clues, particularly helping to identify career choice and providing confidence. About a quarter of Year 11 student’s who had undertaken work experience said it provided them with a work ethic. Using work experience to gain references was also an important factor. Only a small number of students said that they did not benefit from the work experience they undertook. Table 76: Benefits of work experience If you have undertaken work experience, how do you think you benefited from it?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Provided experience in workforce 41.6 68.0 71.3 Helped identify career choice 15.0 37.6 50.3 Improved confidence 32.7 46.9 43.6 Improved communication skills 19.5 38.4 36.5 Provided teamwork skills 23.0 36.5 36.2 Provided references 23.0 36.4 36.2 Provided work ethic 5.3 9.9 25.7 Did not benefit 0.0 0.1 4.9 Don’t know 12.4 1.7 2.6 Other 1.8 4.4 5.1 Not stated 15.0 4.0 1.2 * The respondents were permitted to choose as many responses as they wished for this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%.


7.10 Government programs and services

7.10.1 Awareness of Government programs Students were asked if they had heard of a number of government programs dealing with welfare and employment. The majority of students had heard of the welfare orientated programs (Youth Allowance, Work for the Dole and Austudy). Despite being the major national employment programs, Australian Job Search and Job Network were not well known by students, with only between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of students saying they had heard of these programs. This outcome would tend to support the students own calls for more job search training and career guidance. The main program to assist the transition from school to work, the Jobs Pathway Program (JPP), was known of by 17.4 per cent of Year 9, 41.0 per cent of Year 10 and 42.8 per cent of Year 11 students. These particular results may reflect on the timing of the program relative to the survey, as Year 10 students are usually provided with information on the JPP in November while Year 9 students would only come in contact with the program if they are early leavers (via the school careers advisor or through the early leavers’ program called Central Coast Connect). Year 12 students are provided with information on the JPP in the first or second semester. Given the importance of the JPP, the Youth Commitment should aim to raise the awareness of the program. A reasonable large proportion of students had heard of the Indigenous Employment Program given the small percentage of students that are indigenous Australian’s. Table 77: Knowledge of government programs Have you heard of the following Government programs? – Yes %

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Youth Allowance 75.9 90.6 94.3 Work for the Dole 88.9 91.6 93.1 Austudy 63.9 82.2 89.9 Australian Job Search 42.5 51.6 49.0 Job Network 41.3 48.6 47.8 Jobs Pathway Program 17.4 41.0 42.8 Indigenous Employment Program 18.4 19.3 20.2 Go Career 17.5 14.1 12.8 There were some statistically significant differences between respondents from the Gosford and Wyong LGAs, and between respondents from government and independent schools. These are highlighted below.7

7.10.2 Differences in awareness of Government programs - Year 9

Year 9 respondents from the Wyong LGA were more likely to have heard of Youth Allowance, Austudy, Job Network and the Jobs Pathway Program than respondents from the Gosford LGA.

7 Tables 75 to 80 show only the programs where there was a significant difference between the groups.


Table 78: Knowledge of government programs by location – Year 9 Have you heard of the following Government programs? – Yes (%) by LGA

Gosford LGA

%

Wyong LGA

% Youth Allowance 76.3 86.1 Austudy 63.6 75.6 Job Network 40.5 52.4 Jobs Pathway Program 16.9 23.0 Year 9 respondents from government schools were more likely to have heard of Youth Allowance, Austudy, and the Jobs Pathway Program than respondents from the independent schools. Table 79: Knowledge of government programs by school type – Year 9 Have you heard of the following Government programs? – Yes (%) by School Type

Government %

Independent %

Youth Allowance 82.1 68.0 Austudy 70.1 56.2 Jobs Pathway Program 20.4 12.1


Year 10 respondents from the Wyong LGA were more likely to have heard of Youth Allowance, Austudy, Job Network and the Jobs Pathway Program than respondents from the Gosford LGA. Table 80: Knowledge of government programs by location – Year 10 Have you heard of the following Government programs? – Yes % by LGA

Gosford LGA

%

Wyong LGA

% Youth Allowance 92.5 97.0 Austudy 82.9 92.9 Job Network 48.1 62.4 Jobs Pathway Program 36.8 66.1

Year 10 respondents from government schools were more likely to have heard of Youth Allowance, Austudy, Job Network and the Jobs Pathway Program than respondents from the independent schools. Table 81: Knowledge of government programs by school type – Year 10 Have you heard of the following Government programs? – Yes % by School Type

Government %

Independent %

Youth Allowance 95.6 85.0 Austudy 87.5 75.5 Job Network 52.8 44.3 Jobs Pathway Program 47.7 24.4



Year 11 respondents from the Wyong LGA were more likely to have heard of Austudy, and the Jobs Pathway Program than respondents from the Gosford LGA. However they were less likely to have heard of Go Career. Table 82: Knowledge of government programs by location – Year 11 Have you heard of the following Government programs? – Yes % by School Type

Gosford LGA

%

Wyong LGA

% Austudy 89.3 92.0 Jobs Pathway Program 40.3 52.1 Go Career 13.8 8.9 Year 11 respondents from government schools were more likely to have heard of the Jobs Pathway Program than respondents from the independent schools. Table 83: Knowledge of government programs by school type – Year 11 Have you heard of the following Government programs? – Yes % by School Type

Government %

Independent %

Jobs Pathway Program 45.8 30.3

7.10.5 Understanding of the services available When students were asked how well they understood the job search assistance programs available on the Central Coast, 41.5 per cent of Year 9 students, 45.7 per cent of Year 10 students and 53.2 per cent of Year 11 students claimed to have little or no understanding or awareness of the services available. Table 84: Understanding of employment assistance services How well do you believe you understand and are aware of the services available on the Central Coast to assist you in getting a job?

Year 9 %

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Very well 7.3 7.3 4.8 Reasonably well 36.3 38.2 32.2 Not really well 36.8 41.1 47.7 No understanding at all 4.7 4.6 5.5 Don't know 11.4 6.2 8.2 Not stated 3.5 2.6 1.6


7.11 Key points from the student survey

• The majority of students from Years 9, 10 and 11 intend to complete Year 12.

• Year 9 and 10 students from the Wyong Local Government Area were significantly less likely to intend to complete Year 12 than those students from the Gosford Local Government Area.

• Year 9 and 10 students from government schools were significantly less likely

to intend to complete Year 12 than those students from independent schools.

• Year 11 respondents from both LGAs and from both types of schools were similarly intent on completing Year 12.

• Attendance at university was the most common preferred (“want to do”) post-

school outcome for Year 9, 10 and 11 students. Travel was the next most favoured option for the Year 10 and 11 respondents. While university remained the outcome that students would be “most likely to do”, travel had dropped down to be replaced by full-time employment for Year 11 respondents, and part time/casual job for the Year 10 respondents.

• Access to funds and UAI score / school marks were stated by respondents as

being the main reasons they felt would prevent them from doing what they wanted to do after they completed their education.

• The majority of Year 11 students and around half of Year 10 students had a

job of some type outside of school hours and were working an average of around 11 hours per week. Between 13.5 per cent and 19.1 per cent of students who had jobs worked more than 15 hours a week.

• In total 40.2 per cent of Year 9 students, 47.5 per cent of Year 10 students,

and 51.5 per cent of Year 11 students felt that they would require some form of tertiary education to obtain the job they wanted.

Conversely, 59.8 per cent of Year 9 students, 52.5per cent of Year 10 students, and 48.5 per cent of Year 11 students felt that they would require no post-secondary education to get the job they wanted.

• The large majority of students were prepared to travel beyond the Central

Coast to work, with most students nominating Sydney as their preferred work destination.

• The majority of students felt that it would be reasonably difficult to find work,

with competition for jobs and an insufficient number of jobs being the two most commonly cited reasons for the difficulty in finding work.

• Students identified more work relevant courses, more job search training,

more career guidance and advice, provision of work skills, and more vocational or work experience, as ways in which schools could better prepare them for the workforce.

• Students were most aware of the government programs or services that were

welfare oriented or had a high public profile i.e. Youth Allowance, Work for the Dole and Austudy. They were less familiar with the programs or services


associated with school to work transition and generally felt that they did not have a good understanding or awareness of services available to assist them to get a job.


8 Central Coast business survey Central Coast businesses were surveyed to gather information on their perceptions of young workers. A telephone survey of owners or managers of 309 randomly selected Central Coast businesses was conducted by the HVRF from 12 to 27 September 2001. The survey was conducted using a Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system.

8.1 Respondent Profile

8.1.1 Industry type In order to classify the participating businesses the respondents were asked to identify the type of industry that best described their main business and the number of people that they currently employed. Businesses from the Retail Trade (29.4%), Construction (16.8%), and Property and Business Services (11.7%) each made up more than ten percent of the total number of respondents. The retail trade is over-represented in this survey compared to the 1998 business counts shown in Table 14. Table 85: Business participation by industry type Which industry best describes your main business?

No. %

Retail trade 91 29.4 Construction 52 16.8 Property & Business Services 36 11.7 Health & Community Services 28 9.1 Manufacturing 27 8.7 Accommodation, Cafes & Restaurants 17 5.5 Personal & Other Services 15 4.9 Finance & Insurance 11 3.6 Wholesale Trade 10 3.2 Transport & Storage 7 2.3 Cultural & Recreational Services 7 2.3 Communication Services 3 1.0 Education 3 1.0 Mining 2 0.6 Total 309 100

8.1.2 Business size Around 84 per cent of respondents were small business (1-10 employees), 14 per cent medium-sized businesses (11-50 employees) and 2 per cent large businesses (51 or more employees). This is similar to the business counts in 1998 presented in Table 14.


Table 86: Size of business by employment Approximately how many people, including yourself and all full-time, part-time and casual staff, does your organisation employ?

No. %

1-10 employees 259 83.8 11-50 employees 43 13.9 51+ employees 7 2.3 Total 309 100

8.2 Employment of young people

8.2.1 Employment of young people Businesses were asked whether they employ any persons aged 21 or under. Less than half (43.5 %) of respondents indicated that they did employ young persons. Table 87: Employment of young people Yes

% No %

Do you currently employ any persons aged 21 or under?

43.5 56.5

8.2.2 Employment of young people by industry type When considering the results for this question by industry type it can be seen that businesses from the Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurant sector (64.7%), Personal and Other Services (40.0%) and the Retail Trade (36.3%) were the most likely to employ people 21 years or younger. This pattern may reflect the preference of young people (particularly those at school) for part-time and casual employment. Table 88: Employment of young people by industry type Industry Type Yes

% No %

Accommodation, Cafes & Restaurants 64.7 35.3 Personal & Other services 40.0 60.0 Retail Trade 36.3 62.6 Wholesale Trade 30.0 70.0 Health & Community Services 28.6 71.4 Finance & Insurance 27.3 72.7 Construction 23.1 76.9 Manufacturing 22.2 77.8 Property & Business Services 22.2 77.8

8.2.3 Employment of young people by number of employees When considering the results for this question by the number of employees it can be seen that businesses employing more than 50 employees (71.4%) and 11-50 employees (62.8%) were most likely to employ people 21 years or younger. This reflects the dominance of major retail stores in this business size group, with such stores generally employing a high proportion of part-time and casual labour. The


results also show that over 80 per cent of the Region’s businesses (those with ten or fewer employees) have a low propensity to employ young people. Table 89: Employment of young people by business size Number of employees Yes

% No %

1-10 employees 26.3 73.7 11-50 employees 62.8 34.9 51+ employees 71.4 28.6 Total 32.4 67.3

8.3 Employment of apprentices or trainees

8.3.1 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the past three months

Respondents were asked whether they had employed any apprentices or trainees in the three months prior to the survey. The majority (87.0%) indicated that they had not. Table 90: Employment of apprentices or trainees Yes

% No %

Have you employed any apprentices or trainees in the past three months?

13.0 87.0

8.3.2 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the past three months by industry type

The main industries where this took place were the Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants sector (23.5%) and the Personal and Other Services sector (13.3%). The Manufacturing (3.7%) and Wholesale Trade (0.0%) sectors were least likely to have employed apprentices and trainees. Table 91: Employment of apprentices or trainees by industry type Industry Type Yes

% No %

Accommodation, Cafes & Restaurants 23.5 76.5 Personal & Other Services 13.3 86.7 Retail Trade 9.9 90.1 Construction 9.6 90.4 Finance & Insurance 9.1 90.9 Property & Business Services 8.3 91.7 Health & Community Services 7.1 92.9 Manufacturing 3.7 96.3 Wholesale Trade 0.0 100


8.3.3 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the past three months by number of employees

Businesses employing more than 50 employees (28.6%) were most likely to have employed apprentices or trainees during this period. Table 92: Employment of apprentices or trainees by business size Number of employees Yes

% No %

1-10 employees 7.7 92.3 11-50 employees 16.3 83.7 51+ employees 28.6 71.4

8.3.4 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the next three months

Respondents were asked whether they would employ any apprentices or trainees in the three months after the survey. The majority (84.4%) indicated that they would not. Table 93: Future employment of apprentices or trainees Yes

% No %

Don't know Not sure

% Will you employ any apprentices or trainees in the next three months?

11.4 84.4 4.2

8.3.5 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the next three months by industry type

The Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants (29.4%), Finance and Insurance (18.2%) and the Personal and Other Services sector (13.3%) were most likely to employ new apprentices or trainees. Table 94: Future employment of apprentices or trainees by industry type Industry Type Yes

% No %

Don't know Not sure

% Accommodation, Cafes & Restaurants 29.4 52.9 17.6 Finance & Insurance 18.2 81.8 0.0 Personal & Other Services 13.3 80.0 6.7 Manufacturing 11.1 77.8 11.1 Wholesale Trade 10.0 70.0 20.0 Retail Trade 7.7 87.9 4.4 Health & Community Services 7.1 89.3 3.6 Construction 5.8 92.3 1.9 Property & Business Services 2.8 94.4 2.8


8.3.6 Employment of apprentices or trainees in the next three months by number of employees

Businesses employing more than 50 employees (42.9%) were most likely to employ apprentices or trainees during this period. Table 95: Future employment of apprentices or trainees by business size Number of employees Yes

% No %

Don't know Not sure

% 1-10 employees 6.2 89.2 4.6 11-50 employees 18.6 74.4 7.0 51+ employees 42.9 28.6 28.6 The employment of apprentices and trainees corresponds closely with the existing young person employment patterns by both industry and business size.

8.4 Perceptions of young workers

8.4.1 Satisfaction with young workers Those companies which currently employed people aged 21 years or younger (43.5% of all respondents) were asked whether they were satisfied with the performance of those young people. The majority of respondents in this category (86.7%) indicated that they were satisfied. Table 96: Satisfaction with young employees Yes

% No %

If you do currently employ any persons aged 21 or under, are you satisfied with their performance?

86.7 13.3

8.4.2 Reasons for satisfaction with young workers The respondents who employed young people and were satisfied with their performance (87 respondents) were asked to indicate the reasons why they were satisfied. The most stated reason was that they were committed and hard working (67.8%). This was followed by the fact that they had good workplace social skills (39.1%), they were reliable (35.6%), they showed a willingness to learn (35.6%) and that they had good customer focus (25.3%).


Table 97: Reasons for satisfaction with young employees Why are you satisfied with the performance of your young employees?

%

Commitment / hard working 67.8 Good workplace social skills 39.1 Reliability 35.6 Willing to learn 35.6 Good customer focus 25.3 Formal training / qualifications 11.5 Initiative 10.3 Work experience 9.2 No previous work culture / flexibility 6.9 Good appearance / presentation 4.6 Wages / cost 2.3 Other 3.4 *The respondents were permitted to provide up to four responses to this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%.

8.4.3 Reasons for dissatisfaction with young workers Of these employers not satisfied with the performance of their young employees, the most stated reason was that they lacked commitment/work ethic (100%) and reliability (40%), they lacked customer focus (30%) and they lacked workplace social skills (20%). Table 98: Reasons for dissatisfaction with young employees Why are you not satisfied with the performance of your young employees?

%

Lack of commitment / work ethic 100.0 Lack of reliability 40.0 Lack of customer focus 30.0 Lack of workplace social skills 20.0 Lack of formal training 10.0 Lack of literacy skills 10.0 Lack of initiative 10.0

*The respondents were permitted to provide up to four responses to this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%.

8.5 Non-employers of young workers Those businesses which did not currently employ people aged 21 years or younger (56.5% of all respondents) were asked why they did not. The most frequently stated reasons were that young people were not appropriate for the type of work (22.9%), that the business was not big enough or that they were self-employed (22.4%), that young people lacked experience (20.0%), that they lacked skills (19.5%), young workers had a poor attitude (18.1%), and that there was not sufficient work to employ them (17.6%).


Table 99: Reasons for not employing young people Why do you not currently employ any people 21 or under?

%

Not appropriate for type of work 22.9 Business not big enough / self-employed 22.4 Lack of experience 20.0 Lack of skills 19.5 Poor attitude of young workers 18.1 Not enough work 17.6 Can't afford costs 9.0 Have sufficient staff 6.7 No reason 2.9 Govt. legislation (Unfair dismissal, paperwork, etc) 2.9 Other 1.9

*The respondents were permitted to provide up to four responses to this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%. Young peoples lack of experience and skills, and their poor attitude towards work, counts negatively against them. To an extent, work experience and VET would prove useful in overcoming these perceived deficiencies. The difficultly is in matching employers demands with the existing capacity within the school and training system in the Region. There may also be ways to improve on-the-job training that businesses provide. Recommendation 18: Engage employers or employer groups (including the Chamber of Commerce) to develop a plan to improve young peoples work experience and skills, in line with those required in the Region, and to promote on-the-job training. This may be within the existing VET scheme, although non-students will require some formal mechanism.

8.6 Improving the employability of young workers All respondents were asked what skills or attributes they felt would improve the employability of young workers. The most frequently stated skills or attributes were a better attitude (41.4%), more and better formal training/technical qualifications (28.2%), an improved commitment and willingness to work hard (20.4%), a better customer focus (14.9%) and more common sense/maturity/sense of responsibility (11.0%).


Table 100: Desirable skills and attributes of young employees What skills and attributes would improve the employability of young workers? %

Better attitude 41.4 More and better formal training / technical qualifications 28.2 Improved commitment / hard working 20.4 Better customer focus 14.9 More common sense / maturity / responsibility 11.0 Reliability / punctuality 9.1 More work experience 7.8 Better communication / people skills 7.8 Improved appearance / presentation 7.4 Improved literacy / numeracy skills 5.5 An increased ability to learn 4.9 More self confidence 4.5 Realistic career progress expectations 4.2 Greater interest / knowledge of industry / job 2.3 Less formal training / education 1.9 Other 6.8 Don't know / Not sure 5.5

*The respondents were permitted to provide up to four responses to this question, therefore the total of all responses will add up to more than 100%.

8.7 Key points from the business survey

• The largest proportion of Central Coast businesses surveyed were either from the Retail Trade, Construction or Property & Business Services industry categories.

• The large majority of businesses surveyed employed 10 people or less.

• Less than half of the Central Coast businesses surveyed employed persons

aged 21 years or younger

• Businesses in the Accommodation, Cafes & Restaurant industry, Personal & Other Services, and Retail Trade categories were the most likely to employ people aged 21 years or younger.

• Businesses employing more than 11 people were most likely to employ

people 21 years or younger on the Central Coast.

• The large majority of businesses had not employed any apprentices or trainees in the three months prior to the survey, and were also unlikely to do so in the three months following the survey. This may not reflect structural factors, that is, their employment preference, but may be indicative of economic conditions.

• The large majority of businesses that did employ young people stated they

were satisfied with their performance. The main reason nominated for their satisfaction was the commitment and hard working attitude of the young employees.


• Those businesses that did not employ young people stated that they didn’t do so because young people were not appropriate for the type of work, that the business was not big enough or that they were self-employed, that young people lacked experience, that they lacked skills, they had a poor attitude generally, and that there was not sufficient work to employ them.

• The most frequently stated skills or attributes that the businesses felt would

improve the employability of young people were an improved attitude, more formal training/technical qualifications, a stronger focus on commitment and willingness to work hard, better customer focus and basic common sense/maturity and sense of responsibility.


9 Conclusion This report has identified a number of features of the Central Coast Region that have relevance to young people’s ability to integrate successfully into society. • There has been a rapid growth in the population of 15-19 year olds in the Region

relative to NSW. This reflects the general rapid population growth that has occurred as a result of migration to the Region. It is likely that the growing youth population is placing pressure on the existing resources available to young people.

• There seems to be a distinct socio-economic division in the Region that must be

recognised if programs are to be implemented effectively and resources used efficiently.

• There is evidence to suggest that the Central Coast labour market under-

performs in terms of job creation. The mobility of the labour force has tended to counter the problem of a lack of jobs, with a high proportion of the workforce travelling outside of the Region to work. Additionally, people between the ages of 20 and 34 have tended to leave the Region in order to gain work. However, such options are not as readily available to 15-19 year olds, due either to the lack of transport, the lack of income or general inexperience. As such, the 15-19 year old age group rely more on jobs growth within the Region. Besides limiting job opportunities, this may also adversely affect young people’s access to on-the-job training, apprenticeships and traineeships.

• There is some evidence to suggest that secondary school retention rates have

improved, although data is generally poor. The provision of VET for students has grown and is likely to have had a positive impact on retention rates, student’s attitudes towards work and training, their employability and their skill levels.

• Over one-third of students surveyed by the HVRF intend to pursue tertiary studies

after completing high school. However, a not insignificant proportion of students do not know what they want to do after they leave school, highlighting the need for some form of assistance.

• An increasing number of people in the Region are pursuing post-compulsory

education. This likely reflects a number of factors, including a growing population, the development of tertiary facilities in the Region and the growth in occupations requiring formal training. There is insufficient information available on apprenticeships, traineeships and on-the-job training to offer comment.

• There are a number of transition, training and employment services available to

young people in the Region. The small amount of evidence available suggests that there exists an excess demand for a number of these services. A number of providers have identified constraints on effective service delivery, including a lack of resources, an inflexible administration structure, a lack of integration between programs and services and the competitiveness of the service provider environment.

• The Youth Commitment should seek to integrate with a number of existing

programs in the Region. These include the Youth Action Project, the Central


Coast Moving Forward Strategy, the Central Coast Transport Forum and the Jigsaw Project. The areas where the Youth Commitment can (or will) be the primary driver for change include employment and pathways service provision, training service provision, VET service provision, business engagement and data collation.

The recommendations that have been made throughout this report are to be taken as guides only. Extensive consultation with interest groups needs to take place in order to reach actions that are likely to be successfully adopted. In developing strategies to deal with young people’s problems, the Youth Commitment Steering Committee must be mindful of what practical solutions it can implement and what is outside of its influence. In some cases the solution to particular problems may lay in improving existing structures and relationship between service providers. In other cases, it may simply be the case that more funding is required. While no possible solution should be overlooked, it is likely that those involving funding will be much more difficult to realise.


10 Bibliography Australian Bureau of Statistics, Business Location Counts, September 1998 (Unpublished). Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cdata96. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Estimated Resident Population: Population by Age and Sex, NSW (Cat. No. 3235.1). Australian Bureau of Statistics, Monthly Labour Force Survey Microfiches. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Population Projections, 1999 to 2051 (3222.0). Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional Profiles NSW (Wyong Local Government Area and Gosford Local Government Area) 2001. Central Coast Child and Youth Strategy, The Jigsaw Project – putting the pieces together, September 2000, Health Promotion Unit (Central Coast Health). Central Coast Drugs and Community Strategy: Regional Plan of Action – 2000 to 2004, August 2000. Central Coast Moving Forward Report 2001-2002 (http://www.ccmovingforward.com/downloads/Report.doc). Department of Community Services, The Youth Action Project for the Central Coast – discussion paper (phase one), April 2001. Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (http://jobsearch.gov.au/jnm). Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Youth Labour Market Trends in NSW - August 2001, 2001 (http://www.workplace.gov.au/WP/CDA/Files/WP/youth%20rpt%202001.pdf). Desktop Marketing Systems, Marketing Pro, June 2001 Edition. Gosford City Council, Community Directory – Youth Services, October 2001. Health Promotions Unit, Suicide on the Central Coast, various, Central Coast Health. NSW Board of Adult and Community Education, NSW ACE Enrolment Statistics 1999, 2000 (http://www.bace.nsw.gov.au/stats/1999/stats1.pdf). NSW Department of Education and Training, Statistical Bulletin, Schools and Students in New South Wales, 1998, 2000a. NSW Department of Education and Training, Students of Non-English Speaking Background, 2000, 2000b.

http://www.ccmovingforward.com/downloads/Report.doc

http://jobsearch.gov.au/jnm

http://www.workplace.gov.au/WP/CDA/Files/WP/youth rpt 2001.pdf

http://www.bace.nsw.gov.au/stats/1999/stats1.pdf


NSW Department of Transport, Action for Transport, 2010 – an integrated transport plan for New South Wales, 1998 (http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/pubs_legal/act2010nsw.pdf). NSW Department of Transport, Journey to Work data (1996). NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, Shaping the Central Coast Strategy. NSW Health Department, NSW Health Surveys (Central Coat Health Area)1997 and 1998. (http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/nswhs/cca_intro.htm). Real Estate Institute of NSW Property Market View (June, 2000). Teese, R., O’Brien, K., Polesel, J. and Agius, C., Central Coast tracking project: post schooling destinations of Central Coast 1995 secondary students, 1997, University of Melbourne. The Premier’s Council for Women/NSW Department for Women, Working together to find solutions, March 2001. Wyong Shire Council, Youth Services Directory (http://www.wyongsc.nsw.gov.au/communities/youth_services.html).

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/pubs_legal/act2010nsw.pdf

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/nswhs/cca_intro.htm

http://www.wyongsc.nsw.gov.au/communities/youth_services.html


Appendix 1 – List of contacts Below is a list of persons contacted by the HVRF to assist in the development of this report. No. Contact Name Organisation Reason for contact 1 Max Noy Active Industries VET data 2 Victor Korabelnikoff BOCSA Court statistics 3 Merner Komar CC Group Training VET data 4 Ray Comans Centerlink (Gosford) Centerlink youth and labour

market services data 5 John Mundy Central Coast Area

Consultative Committee Information on contacts for project

6 Deb Howe Central Coast Area Health Service

Health data

7 Doug Tutt Central Coast Area Health Service

Substance abuse data

8 Rachael Shealler-Ried Central Coast Area Health Service

Youth health -sexual, drug data

9 Stuart Davidson Central Coast Area Health Service

Patient data and young patient profile data

10 Catherine Serventy Jigsaw Project (contacted through Central Coast Area Health Service)

The Jigsaw project and youth health data

11 Graham Laine Central Coast Area Health Service

Youth health data

12 Debbie Donnellan Central Coast Campus (administration)

TAFE enrolment and course data

13 Anthony Smith Central Coast Health Promotions Unit

Suicide statistics

14 Robin Logan Central Coast TAFE Information on Pathways 15 David McDonald Central Coast Youth Support Youth support services (legal

support) information 16 Greg Featherstone Centrelimk Centrelink program data 17 Malcolm Bruce Centrelink Job programs data 18 Alan Suters Dalmar Youth Services Youth services information 19 Tonya Hassett Dept of Education, Training

and Youth Affairs Youth transition programs data

20 Richard Bridge Dept of Education, Training and Youth Affairs

Youth programmes and participation rates

21 Col Parker Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Job Network and labour market programs data

22 Derek Pigram Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Labour market and Job Network data

23 John Morris Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Job Search and Youth Allowance data


24 John Morris Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Labour market data

25 Julie Polson Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Labour market data

26 Robert Lipp Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Job Network data

27 Stephen Powrie Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Employment and Job Network data

28 Tony Waslan Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Work for the Dole data

29 Tony Williams Dept of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

Job Network data

30 Kerry Whitehead Dept of Juvenile Justice - Central Coast

Juvenile crime data

31 Harry Sing Dept of Juvenile Justice Research & Statistics

Juvenile crime data

32 Nora Bodkin Dept of Juvenile Justice Research & Statistics

Children’s Court statistics

33 Annette Hay Dept of Transport Transport services and movement data

34 Grace Corpuz Dept of Transport Transport services and movement data

35 Linda Lawrence DETYA DETYA programs, homeless youth

36 Andrew Mellowship DETYA Youth programs 37 Calvin McDonald DEWRSB Job Matching data 38 John Speirings Dusseldorp Skills Forum Youth data ('Your Place' data

base) 39 Katrina Madden ET Australia Ltd Job Network data 40 Michelle Thornton ET Australia Ltd Job Network data 41 Rebecca (surname

unknown) Firehouse Youth Youth services information

42 Chris Connor First Contact HR Job Network data 43 John Vanesveld Gosford City Council Local government services

information 44 Harry Rainbow Hunter TAFE Enrolment information 45 Karen Walters IPC Employment Job Network data 46 Ian Thomas Kids Help Line Service use data 47 Gillian Hogan Links Youth Service Youth services information 48 John Della Bosca Minister for Central Coast Sources of Information on

Central Coast 49 Helen Myers Minister for Central Coast-

Staff Sources of Information on Central Coast

50 Dale Griffen Mission Employment Job Network data 51 Mobile Youth Krisis Service Youth services information 52 Stuart Varney National Centre for Vocational

Education Research Ltd VET data

53 Christine Smith NSW Attorney Generals Office

Victims of Crime Information


54 Rachel O'Connor NSW Dept of Community Services

Youth Action Project and youth services data

55 Coral Sturgess NSW Dept of Education and Training

Secondary school data

56 Ian Kingsley NSW Dept of Education and Training

Apprenticeships and traineeships data

57 Catherine McClelland NSW Dept of Education and Training

Apprenticeships and traineeships data

58 Reg Davis NSW Dept of Education and Training

Education and social issues information

59 Sue MacLean NSW Dept of Education and Training

Vocational Education and Training data and Careers Advisors information

60 Bill Low NSW Dept of Education and Training (Superintendent, Central Coast district)

School survey and data

61 Liz Rushton NSW Dept of Education and Training (Superintendent, Lake Macquarie district)

Schools survey

62 Vicki Drew NSW Dept of Education and Training (TAFE)

TAFE data

63 Michael Conaghan NSW Police Service - Audits Victims of Crime Information 64 Jim Baldwin NSW Police Service -

Corporate Information Service Victims of Crime Information

65 Jodie Pride NSW Premier Dept (Central Coast)

Demographic and economic data

66 Anjali Boronowski NSW Premiers Department Drug Use, Prevention and Rehabilitation

67 Mark O'Brien Regional Youth Support Services

Youth programs information

68 Joss deRobillard Salvation Army Employment Plus

Job Network data

69 Craig Casy Samaritans Employment Job Network data 70 Andrew Rowland Samaritans Foundation Youth services information 71 Lisa O'Brian Samaritans Outreach Team Youth services information 72 Samaritans Youth Service Youth services information 73 Jodi McKay University of Newcastle Central Coast Student

Welfare Information 74 Keryl Kavanagh University of Newcastle Enrolment Data 75 Debbie Donnellan University of Newcastle Enrolment data 76 Diane Kitevsky University of Newcastle TVET data 77 Karynlee Mossman University of Newcastle

(Administration) Ourimbah Campus student data

78 Sue Cable Woy Woy Womens Refuge Refuge Data 79 Wyong and Gorokan Youth

Services Youth services information

80 Bev Baldwin Wyong Neighborhood Centre Youth services information 81 Belinda McRobie Wyong Shire Council Council youth programs

information 82 Bruce MacDowall Youth Connections VET, Pathways data and

school surveys 83 Kerrie Jackson Youth Connections Schools survey 84 Maggie MacFie Youth Connections Schools and Pathways data


Appendix 2 – Electronic mapping The HVRF has undertaken an extensive electronic mapping exercise as part of this project. Appendix 2a contains maps showing the concentration of the 15-19 and 20-24 age cohorts in the Central Coast and the areas of socio-economic disadvantage. Information for these maps is derived from the 1996 Census data. Appendix 2b contains maps showing the location of secondary schools and other education institutions in the Region. Appendix 2c contains maps showing the location of other relevant service providers. Information for the maps in Appendix 2b and 2c was obtained from the Yellow Pages (Desktop Marketing Systems, Marketing Pro, June 2001 Edition). The maps provide a visual presentation of data. The advantage of this is to provide a geographic perspective on issues. For example, overlaying the secondary schools map with the map indicating areas of socio-economic disadvantage shows schools where student problems may be more prevalent. Another example is to cross-reference youth populations with youth services to determine if the location of these services inhibits their effective provision, particularly given the transport situation in the region.


Appendix 2a – Population maps Map 1: Population concentration of 15-19 year olds in the Central Coast, 1996 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96)

��

No. of people 15-19 YearsCentral Coast 1996

��121 to 161 (1)81 to 121 (7)40 to 81 (132)0 to 40 (376)

Map 1 shows the number of 15-19 year olds in the allotted census statistical divisions in the Central Coast in 1996. The yellow segments indicate a low concentration (40 or less persons aged 15-19 years), while the red segments indicate a high concentration. The numbers in the brackets show the number of statistical divisions in each group. The one area of very high concentration represents the juvenile detention centre.


Map 2: Population concentration of 15-19 year olds in Gosford, 1996 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

��

% 15-19 year olds 19Gosford LGA��

15 to 58 (1)10 to 15 (10)5 to 10 (180)0 to 5 (88)

Map 2 shows the proportion of 15-19 year olds in the population within each census statistical division in Gosford in 1996. The yellow segments indicate a low concentration of 15-19 year olds (up to 5 per cent of the population within the statistical division). The red segment indicates an area of high concentration.


Map 3: Population concentration of 15-19 year olds in Wyong, 1996 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96

% of 15-19 year olds 1Wyong LGA

10 to 30 (4)5 to 10 (158)0 to 5 (75)

Map 3 shows the proportion of 15-19 year olds in the population within each census statistical division in Wyong in 1996. The yellow segments indicate a low concentration of 15-19 year olds (up to 5 per cent of the population within the statistical division). The red segment indicates an area of high concentration.


Map 4: Population concentration of 20-24 year olds in the Central Coast, 1996 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96)

No. people 20-24 YearsCentral Coast 1996

68 to 90 (6)45 to 68 (56)23 to 45 (247)0 to 23 (207)

Map 4 shows the number of 20-24 year olds in the allotted census statistical divisions in the Central Coast in 1996. The yellow segments indicate a low concentration (23 or less persons aged 20-24 years), while the red segments indicate a high concentration. The one area of very high concentration represents the juvenile detention centre.


Map 5: Areas of socio-economic disadvantage in the Central Coast, 1996 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cdata96)

SEIFA Disadvantage Index 1996Central Coast1,085.2 to 1,224.4 (49)1,023.9 to 1,085.2 (119)957.1 to 1,023.9 (136)428.7 to 957.1 (211)

Map 5 shows the areas of socio-economic disadvantage in the Central Coast in 1996. The index of The red areas indicate the areas where there is a high level of socio-economic disadvantage, while the yellow areas indicate where there is low levels of disadvantage.


Appendix 2b – Education providers maps Map 6: Location of Government High Schools in the Central Coast, 2001.

333333333

151515151515151515

131313131313131313

4,54,54,54,54,54,54,54,54,5GOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORD

999999999

171717171717171717

161616161616161616WYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONG 141414141414141414

181818181818181818

111111111

666666666

111111111111111111121212121212121212

101010101010101010

888888888

222222222

777777777

GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSGOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLS

No. Government High Schools Suburb 1 Berkeley Vale Community HS GLENNING VALLEY 2 Erina HS ERINA 3 George Anderson Walpole KARIONG 4 Gosford HS GOSFORD 5 Henry Kendall HS WEST GOSFORD 6 Hopetown Special School TACOMA 7 Kincumber HS KINCUMBER 8 Lisarow HS LISAROW 9 Narara Valley HS NARARA

10 Terrigal HS TERRIGAL 11 The Entrance HS THE ENTRANCE 12 Tumbi Umbi HS TUMBI UMBI 13 Umina HS UMINA 14 Wadalba HS WADALBA


15 Woy Woy HS WOY WOY 16 Wyong Technology HS WYONG 17 Northlakes HS SAN REMO 18 Gorokan HS LAKE HAVEN


Map 7: Location of Non-government High Schools in the Central Coast, 2001

WYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONG

555555555

666666666

101010101010101010

999999999

333333333

7,87,87,87,87,87,87,87,87,8GOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORD 222222222

111111111444444444

NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLS

No. Non-Government High Schools Suburb 1 Central Coast Adventist School ERINA 2 Central Coast Grammar School ERINA HEIGHTS 3 Gosford Christian School NARARA 4 Green Point Baptist Christian School GREEN POINT 5 St Peter's Catholic College TUGGERAH 6 St Cecilia's School WYONG 7 St Edward's Secondary College EAST GOSFORD 8 St Joseph's Girls' High School EAST GOSFORD 9 Terrigal School for Children with Autism TERRIGAL

10 Lakes Anglican Grammar School SUMMERLAND POINT


Map 8: Location of other education providers on the Central Coast, 2001

GOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORD3,4,53,4,53,4,53,4,53,4,53,4,53,4,53,4,53,4,5

111111111

777777777


2,62,62,62,62,62,62,62,62,6

HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION & BUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGESBUSINESS COLLEGES

No. Higher Education & Business Colleges Suburb 1 Kincumber Adult & Community Education Centre

Inc KINCUMBER

2 University Of Newcastle Central Coast Campus OURIMBAH 3 Advanced Careers College GOSFORD 4 Future School GOSFORD 5 Hunter Institute Of Technology (TAFE) GOSFORD 6 Hunter Institute Of Technology (TAFE) OURIMBAH 7 Stantons College Of Hospitality / Stantons Pro-

Active Training TUMBI UMBI


Appendix 2c – Service providers Map 9: Location of Job Network members, 2001

191919191919191919

12,13,14,1512,13,14,1512,13,14,1512,13,14,1512,13,14,1512,13,14,1512,13,14,1512,13,14,1512,13,14,15WYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONG

16,17,1816,17,1816,17,1816,17,1816,17,1816,17,1816,17,1816,17,1816,17,18

202020202020202020

GOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORD

111111111

777777777

8,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,11

2,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,62,3,4,5,6JOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERSJOB NETWORK PROVIDERS

No. Job Network Providers Suburb 1 Business Enterprise Centre Northside Ltd EAST GOSFORD 2 First Contact Human Resources GOSFORD 3 IPA Personnel GOSFORD 4 IPC Employment GOSFORD 5 Job Futures/ET Australia GOSFORD 6 The Salvation Army Employment Plus GOSFORD 7 Job Futures/ET Australia WOY WOY 8 First Contact Human Resources ETTALONG 9 IPC Employment ETTALONG

10 Mission Employment ETTALONG 11 The Salvation Army Employment Plus ETTALONG 12 First Contact Human Resources WYONG 13 IPC Employment WYONG 14 Job Futures/Samaritans WYONG


15 The Salvation Army Employment Plus WYONG 16 First Contact Human Resources THE ENTRANCE 17 IPC Employment THE ENTRANCE 18 The Salvation Army Employment Plus THE ENTRANCE 19 The Salvation Army Employment Plus CHARMHAVEN 20 IPC Employment LAKE HAVEN


Map 10: Location of Employment Placement service providers, 2001


181818181818181818

141414141414141414

20,21,2220,21,2220,21,2220,21,2220,21,2220,21,2220,21,2220,21,2220,21,2223,2423,2423,2423,2423,2423,2423,2423,2423,24

191919191919191919

3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,118,9,10,11

GOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORD

12,1312,1312,1312,1312,1312,1312,1312,1312,13

161616161616161616

171717171717171717

1,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,2

151515151515151515

EMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT - PLACEMENT SERVICES

No. Employment - Placement Services Suburb 1 Atarexi Employment Services ERINA 2 Steve McIntosh Services P/L ERINA 3 Central Coast Career Workkeys Ltd GOSFORD 4 Contour Staff Placements GOSFORD 5 Employment National GOSFORD 6 IPC Employment GOSFORD 7 Jobs Australia GOSFORD 8 Manpower GOSFORD 9 Pep Incorporated GOSFORD

10 The Salvation Army Employment Plus GOSFORD 11 Wesley Employment GOSFORD 12 Eagle Executive KARIONG 13 S J Crewes KARIONG 14 Thomrod Consulting NIAGARA PARK 15 Elite Hospitality Personnel AVOCA BEACH 16 Employment Transactions Australia Incorporated WOY WOY 17 Mission Australia Employment Service ETTALONG


18 Worktrans OURIMBAH 19 Bembridge Consulting P/L CHAIN VALLEY BAY 20 IPC Employment WYONG 21 Jobs Australia WYONG 22 Ready Workforce Wyong WYONG 23 The Salvation Army Employment Plus WYONG 24 Forstaff WYONG NORTH


Map 11: Location of Training and Development service providers, 2001

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101010101010101010

GOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORDGOSFORD1,2,3,41,2,3,41,2,3,41,2,3,41,2,3,41,2,3,41,2,3,41,2,3,41,2,3,45,6,75,6,75,6,75,6,75,6,75,6,75,6,75,6,75,6,7

252525252525252525888888888 242424242424242424

WYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONGWYONG151515151515151515

16,1716,1716,1716,1716,1716,1716,1716,1716,17

181818181818181818

19,20,21,19,20,21,19,20,21,19,20,21,19,20,21,19,20,21,19,20,21,19,20,21,19,20,21,22,2322,2322,2322,2322,2322,2322,2322,2322,23

11,12,1311,12,1311,12,1311,12,1311,12,1311,12,1311,12,1311,12,1311,12,13 262626262626262626

303030303030303030

27,28,2927,28,2927,28,2927,28,2927,28,2927,28,2927,28,2927,28,2927,28,29

141414141414141414

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING & DEVELOPMENTSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTSSPECIALISTS

No. Training and Development Specialists Suburb 1 Australian Business GOSFORD 2 Betta Careers Centre GOSFORD 3 Hunter Institute Of Technology (TAFE) GOSFORD 4 LTW Training Systems GOSFORD 5 Metamorphosis GOSFORD 6 Power Corporation GOSFORD 7 Work Wise GOSFORD 8 Essence Of Learning P/L MATCHAM 9 The Institute Of Business Management AVOCA BEACH

10 Work Wise ETTALONG BEACH 11 Central Coast Community College OURIMBAH 12 Headstart Education OURIMBAH 13 Hunter Institute Of Technology (TAFE) OURIMBAH 14 Brooks Training Services CHAIN VALLEY BAY 15 Australian Institute For Human Dynamics P/L JILLIBY 16 Central Coast Group Training Ltd TUGGERAH 17 Drake TUGGERAH 18 Active Industry Training Ltd WARNERVALE


19 Community Success P/L WYONG 20 Northlakes Ace WYONG 21 The Heard Centre WYONG 22 The Sonata Group P/L WYONG 23 Work Wise WYONG 24 Face To Face Resolutions FORRESTERS BEACH 25 Endeavour Training & Development P/L WAMBERAL 26 K Akins KILLARNEY VALE 27 First Contact Human Resources THE ENTRANCE 28 Pan Pacific Training Co P/L THE ENTRANCE 29 Wyong Workwise Inc THE ENTRANCE 30 Personal Action BUDGEWOI

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