LSAY Easy reference guide - what do we know about the experiences of Australian youth?

MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release: 21 October 2004 What do we know about the experiences of Australian youth? A new resource will enable easier access to information about the experiences of Australian youth as they move through secondary school, into further education or training, and into the labour market and adult life. An Easy Reference Guide to Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Reports, 1996ñ2003, by Robyn Penman, thematically summarises the 36 research reports published during those years. Ensuring effective transitions from school to active and productive engagement in economic and social life is an enduring concern of public policy in Australia. Knowledge based on LSAY increases our understanding of these transitions and pathways and supports the design of policies and practices that are evidence-based and effective. The Easy Reference Guide tells us what we have learned about the experiences of Australian youth as they make those transitions. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has conducted extensive research into these issues over the last 20 years, through the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program and earlier studies. The LSAY program is a joint initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) and ACER. Longitudinal studies such as LSAY give a clear picture of what young people are up to at any point in time and of the pathways they took to get there. The capacity to follow the same young people over time means that factors influencing their pathways and outcomes can be identified and changes in the educational and employment experiences of successive generations can be tracked. An Easy Reference Guide to Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Reports, 1996ñ2003, by Robyn Penman, is available in print from ACER Press (Phone 03 9835 7447, email sales@acer.edu.au for $40.00) or can be downloaded from the ACER website, www.acer.edu.au. ****************ENDS*************