Youth employment is the key focus of today’s virtual roundtable as the Minister for Youth Ros Spence joins with young Victorians who are dealing with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Young people and industry experts along with Ms Spence and Minister for Employment Jaala Pulford will discuss how to keep young people in jobs, as well as opportunities to give young people the best start in their careers.

Coronavirus has created unprecedented employment challenges in Australia and globally, and young people have been affected more than most.

The downturn in industries dominated by young people, including hospitality, retail and the arts, saw youth unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points in May to 11.3 per cent in Victoria. Young people are also almost twice as likely to be unemployed as the general population.

The Andrews Labor Government is supporting Victorian jobs and workers to get through the other side of this pandemic.

The $1.7 billion Economic Survival Package which includes the $500 million Working for Victoria Fund has helped more than 7,000 Victorians back into work, and the Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program is providing support to apprentices and trainees displaced during the crisis.

Before the crisis, the Labor Government oversaw the creation of more than half a million jobs – the largest increase among the states since being in office.

This is the second roundtable on the impacts of the coronavirus on young Victorians. Last month, Ms Spence met with young people and experts to discuss how to improve youth mental health.

Quote attributable to the Minister for Youth Ros Spence

“There is a lot of work to be done to get through this crisis and I am thankful to the young people and industry experts who are sharing their experiences with us. Young people must have their voices heard on the big issues affecting them.”

Quote attributable to the Minister for Employment Jaala Pulford

“Our priority is to make sure that no one misses out on a chance to keep a job or find a job – our young people are so important and we won’t leave them behind as we work our way through this pandemic.”