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This report looks at shifts in the labour market, the workplace and transitions to employment, highlighting the need for education and careers information, advice and guidance that responds to the changing needs of young people and the economy. Drawing on the voices of young people, some of whom were involved in leading the research, and building on lessons from innovative practice that is being developed and applied in formal and informal education settings across the UK, the report proposes a guidance framework for practitioners, educators and policy-makers on how education and [information, advice and guidance] IAG can be developed and aligned to best support and empower young people to be active negotiators of their learning and work pathways.

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Recent years have seen significant shifts in the world of work, with the focus moving away from industry, towards innovation and the 'knowledge economy'. At the same time, the global economic slowdown has meant fewer labour market opportunities, particularly for young people. The majority of young people in South Australia continue to thrive, with lower than average youth unemployment, and a well-performing school system. But for a significant proportion of young people, the transition from school to further education and especially to the workplace, remains challenging. Efforts to improve formal qualifications and work-based training have been redoubled in response, but there is also a growing consensus that more must be done to build the 'softer' skills which employers say are increasingly important in getting on at work. These skills include discipline, and the ability to interact with adults, to take feedback, to deal with setbacks and more. The Young Foundation refers to these competencies as 'SEED skills': S for social and emotional competencies; E for enterprise, creativity and innovation; E for emotional resilience; and D for discipline. Across the developed world, employers report frustrations that all too often young people are ill-prepared for life in the workplace. The consequence for young people is often a struggle to find meaningful or lasting employment. In this paper we explore the evidence for the importance of a greater emphasis on social and emotional learning, as part of a holistic view of young people's education. We look firstly to the trends in the field globally, and in Australia and South Australia specifically, highlighting the need for new approaches. Secondly, we examine the rise in the importance of SEED skills among the education and academic communities, outlining the evidence for how social and emotional competencies improve the outcomes both for individuals and for society and communities. Next we consider how these competencies can most effectively be nurtured to prepare young people for safe and successful transitions to work, by considering where current systems fail (for example, through fragmented programs and multiple competing programs) and where others succeed (for example, through strong leadership and a clear evidence base). Fourthly, we explore 12 examples from the UK, USA and Australia where young people are flourishing as a result of investment in social and emotional learning programs. Finally, we conclude by considering how South Australia could do more to systematically create the five conditions which accelerate improvement in young people's social and emotional competencies.

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