HRF Young Researcher Katy Schultz presented data collected about attitudes to the HSC in the YOUnite Project. This project focuses on young people in the Hunter Region transitioning from school to work. Youth unemployment as of February 2015 stand at 18% or 1 in 5.

1. 1
HSC: Ticket to success or Highly Stressful Cocoon
Presenter: Katy Schultz

2. 2
INTRODUCTION

3. 3
BACKGROUND TO RAISING THE
SCHOOL LEAVING AGE
Getting the HSC
• Increases their chances of getting a better
paying job
• Reduces a person’s chance of being
unemployed
• Those who don’t complete year 12 are more
likely to earn less than those that do

4. 4
How many of you think that students
should be allowed to leave school
before they get their HSC?
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

5. 5
VIEWS ON THE CURRENT HSC POLICY
Proportion of people who
agreed or strongly agreed
Young people still at school 48%
Young people finished school and
under 25
63%
Hunter residents 75%
Upper Hunter residents 79%
All students should stay at school and complete Year 12

6. 6
VIEWS ON THE CURRENT HSC POLICY

7. • The benefit of more years of school depends on the
academic ability and motivation of the student.
• There is evidence that an increasing number of
students who stay at school become disengaged.
• There has been an increase in absences and
suspensions since the policy began.
• This can put a strain on teachers’ resources
• More needs to be done to engage students until they
turn 17
VIEWS ON CURRENT HSC MODEL
Another perspective
REFERENCE: Dockery, Alfred, "Assessing the value of additional years
of schooling for the non academically inclined" (2005). LSAY Research
Reports. Longitudinal surveys of Australian youth research report
No.38. http://research.acer.edu.au/lsay_research/42

8. 8
How many of you would consider
employing someone without their HSC?

9. 9
VALUE OF THE HSC
Young people still
at High School
Young people who
had finished school
no impact at all 10% 13%
a minor impact 27% 38%
a moderate impact 27% 25%
a major impact 36% 24%
The importance of doing well at the HSC on future
employment had…

10. 10
Proportion who agreed or strongly
agreed it had a major or moderate
impact on future employment
Hunter residents 70%
Upper Hunter residents 80%
80% of Hunter businesses said they would
consider employing a young person who
HAD NOT completed their HSC.
VALUE OF THE HSC
The importance of doing well at the HSC on future
employment

11. 11
VALUE OF THE HSC

12. 12
HSC – THE EXPERIENCE

13. 13
HSC – THE EXPERIENCE

14. 14
HSC – THE EXPERIENCE

15. 15
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HSC

16. 16
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HSC

17. 17

18. 18
Thanks!