Council of Trade Unions Stand Up media release

19 July 2010

CTU welcomes Human Rights Commission Report

The youth union movement of the Council of Trade Unions, Stand Up, welcomes the report released by the Human Rights Commission today calling for increased investment to help prepare young people for work.

Stand Up National Convener James Sleep also echoed the comments of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Judy McGregor that the report shows how the 90 day law will do nothing to help the employment prospects of young people and may actually discourage employers from putting their trust in youth.

“Stand Up supports the report’s key recommendation of a government funded national youth-to-work initiative,” said Sleep. “With such high youth unemployment, it makes sense to invest in ways to help young people get into the workforce.”

“Many young people attempt to access the workforce with inadequate knowledge of their work rights and without key employment skills. In areas where there are youth-to-work programmes in place, we have seen lower youth unemployment and a more conscious young work force.”

Sleep says recent changes to government employment and education policies means it is so important for young people to have the ability to access community support to raise their employment skills and knowledge of their work rights before they enter the work force.

"The Government has failed to adequately fund education and programmes to mitigate youth unemployment and must take notice of the recommendations of the Human Rights Commission and put money into ensuring young people are not left to be hurt by the modern labour market,” concluded Sleep. “This is even more important when the Government’s 90 day law will make it yet more difficult for young people to find and retain jobs.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media