Career development supporting young Australians: a literature review

Youth transitions into employment are taking place in a complex social and economic environment. There is general agreement among researchers that the contemporary labour market is increasingly characterised by flexible, casual, precarious and insecure patterns of employment. This paper investigates how career development services can support transitions, particularly in terms of their impact for young people experiencing disadvantage, and explores the benefits of engaging parents as career supporters. The literature review brings together evidence on the role of career development in supporting youth in their transition from school and further study into employment. The paper addresses these specific issues: the role of career development for young people in a changing labour market; the impact of disadvantage on young people's career development; career development needs of young people, particularly disadvantaged young people; and career development strategies that may mitigate disadvantage in the transition process, in particular those that involve parents as key influences on young people.

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