$330m youth strategy lauded

Pilbara educators and job support agencies have welcomed the $330 million Youth Employment Strategy announced in the Federal Budget last week.

The initiative aims to help young people ease into the workforce, with money for areas of high youth unemployment and young people with mental health concerns.

The package includes a 6000-place national work experience program, which will offer wage subsidies for employers to hire young people after four weeks of unpaid work.

A new $212 million Youth Transition to Work program will assist young people who have disengaged from work and study and are at risk of long-term welfare dependence.

Apprentices will receive $664 million, including $7500 scholarships for employers to take on and train unemployed young people and another $1.8 million to continue the Trade Support Loans.

Pilbara Institute chief executive Marlene Boundy said any initiatives which supported local employers to take on apprentices or help local youth find a pathway to a rewarding career were welcomed by the Institute.

"Pilbara Institute provides apprentices and vocational students with high-quality training they need for modern Australian workplaces, which makes us well placed to assist local businesses reach their workplace development goals if they choose to access Federal funding," she said.

"There could be a future opportunity for Pilbara Institute to work closely with local agencies and organisations to help our young people through the Youth Employment Pathways program."

"This initiative will offer up to $2000 of assistance for young people to get back into school, start VET or move into the workforce."

Empowering People in the Community chief executive Kathy Hough said she was pleased to see students with disabilities well supported in the Budget, with $1.3 billion allocated for additional support for children in the classroom.

"This is a welcome measure and will provide enhanced educational and social outcomes for all children, particularly for students who attend mainstream classrooms," she said.

"The funding and supports and services for people with disabilities in the West Pilbara have trebled in the past three years, which has enabled individuals to gain employment, attend vocational and recreational activities in the community, moved into their own homes and employment has been created for 45 staff who now work at EPIC."

"EPIC is really excited and encouraged by the reforms and growth funding available and looks forward to supporting more people in the region and together making a contribution to the social and economic fabric of the region."

Smith Family chief executive Dr Lisa O'Brien said the Federal Budget provided a good starting point for improving education and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people from disadvantaged families.

The Youth Support strategy will be supplemented by $106 million for intensive support for key groups of vulnerable job seekers including disadvantaged young people with mental health concerns and vulnerable young migrants, as well as $840 million for the States and Territories to continue pre-school programs that particularly help indigenous, vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

Dr Lisa O'Brien said the Smith Family welcomed the funding of targeted initiatives to address the learning needs of children from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

"As the international research and The Smith Family's own experience shows, the best return on investment is achieved when disadvantaged children are supported in the early years and across their schooling," she said.

"Currently 42 per cent of 17-24-year-olds in Australia's most disadvantaged communities are not fully engaged in employment or education, with negative long-term consequences."

"We welcome the additional support provided through the Youth Employment Strategy to help severely disengaged young people move into employment."

"Ensuring disadvantaged young Australians have the opportunity to attend, complete school, and move into employment or further education, is the key to addressing long-term welfare dependency."