Social Work Now, Issue 42, pages 5-11.
Working with young people is tremendously rewarding. Few professional areas of social work provide the kind of practice potential that connecting with young people can – the vibrancy and creativity of young people can be harnessed to nurture a sense of hope and opportunity for disadvantaged young people as they seek to build their future lives. Most school-age young people are healthy and respond positively to their families, schools and peers (Adolescent Health Research Group, 2003; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007a). Despite the negative profile that the media generally accords to youth, relatively few young people actually engage in serious risk-taking or offending behaviours. Most young people will transition successfully through adolescence and go on to live productive and satisfying lives.
It is, nevertheless, true that a significant number of young people will contend with a range of issues in their young lives, including mental illness, substance misuse, homelessness, unemployment, and social isolation. This paper will look at some of the personal and structural barriers that face more seriously disadvantaged young people and will explore ways in which youth work can effectively connect young people with educational, training and employment pathways. This paper begins by exploring the range of issues facing young people in Australia and New Zealand and then examines an Australian community service organisation practice example of youth work, which aims to help young people successfully enter pathways into post-school education, training or employment.