The Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA), the peak business organisation representing manufacturers and suppliers of quality dental products, and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AusChamber), are gravely concerned about the plight of Australia's young people, and have produced Learning to Work to focus attention on the rising number of young Australians aged under twenty-four who are officially unemployed or disengaged from working or learning.
There are 3.1 million Australians aged between fifteen and twenty-four, and recent data tells us some half-million are not in full or part time work or study. This is an alarming figure. It tells us we are not doing enough to help our young people become engaged in our society. Business and government need to work together.
ADIA and AusChamber are calling on governments, both state and federal, to tackle the problem holistically with a Learning to Work program which is more efficient and effective than the existing programs, some of which have been defunded or may soon be. Learning to Work contains specific recommendations for the 2014 budget, and makes recommendations to governments, both federal and state, using a 'helping hand' approach which includes five elements.