Outcome 7: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are engaged in employment or education

Target 7: By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (15–24 years) who are in employment, education or training to 67 per cent.

Ministers responsible

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Skills and Training, Minister for Education

Productivity Commission national progress against the target

The most recent data for this target is from 2016. This target remains a focus for data development under the Data Development Plan.

The path forward

Increasing the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth who are engaged in employment, education or training significantly improves outcomes over the life course, including long-term employment prospects and improved health and wellbeing. Achieving Outcome 7 contributes to the achievement of Outcomes 8, 11 and 14.

The Commonwealth’s focus for Outcome 7 is on establishing and strengthening partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to share in decision-making on strategies that will boost the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in education, training and employment. The Commonwealth is working to establish formal partnerships and strengthen existing partnerships with stakeholders in the higher education and vocational education and training sectors, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student bodies. The Commonwealth has committed to work with the Coalition of the Peaks to examine options for an economic participation Policy Partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Priority actions

Youth engagement

The Commonwealth established a new Youth Engagement Model to give young people an engagement mechanism into government processes, policy and programs through the Office for Youth, and development and implementation of a new Youth Engagement Strategy.

The new Youth Engagement Model will prioritise government engagement with young people from minority cohorts, including First Nations young people. A new First Nations Youth Advisory Group will be established in 2023.

Employment opportunities for young First Nations Australians

The Employment White Paper will explore strategies to improve First Nations employment, including ideas raised during the Jobs and Skills Summit. The White Paper will be informed by the perspectives of First Nations peoples, including through the public submissions process that closed in November 2022 and targeted stakeholder consultations in 2023.

The Government is examining the new Workforce Australia employment service (including the Transition to Work service) to ensure that it improves outcomes for all Australians, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, through the Select Committee of the House of Representatives. Further information on the scope of the Select Committee is outlined in Outcome 8.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in remote Australia will benefit from the Commonwealth’s commitment to replace the Community Development Program, developed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is further outlined in Outcome 8.

Summary of new actions

*A full appendix of new and existing measures being undertaken by the Commonwealth to support Closing the Gap efforts is on the NIAA website, at Closing the Gap implementation measures.