VET News

Treading Water ... Effects of the Pandemic on Youth Transitions

The COVID-19 pandemic held young Australians back from making their usual transitions, a new report from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) reveals.

Treading water: effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth transitions examined the lived experiences of young people aged about 20 in 2020, during the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Australia.

The study shows that between 2019 and 2020, typical transitions into employment and permanent or ongoing roles did not occur for a significant proportion of young people, running counter to historical patterns of those who were aged 19 and 20 in 2013 - 2014, in 2010 - 2011, and in 2007 - 2008.

Added to this, the pandemic appears to have taken a major toll on young people’s mental health, with nearly one in four 20-year-olds meeting criteria for probable serious mental illness in 2020. Young people who were female, unemployed, in no type of study, or without social support were particularly vulnerable to mental distress.

Almost one in ten young Australians reported having to move in with their parents or other relatives because of the pandemic. Another 5.4% reported having to move elsewhere, such as to live with friends or a partner. Some young people appeared to ‘retreat’ into higher education, a common strategy during economic uncertainty to increase future earning potential.

Research report Treading water: effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth transitions examined data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and analysed the changes in education, employment, financial circumstances, social circumstances, and wellbeing of young Australians between 2019 and 2020.

Download the Report here.

Date posted Nov 17, 2022