We welcome Australian Government's focus on youth employment

We welcome Australian Government's focus on youth employment

13 May 2015

We welcome Australian Government's focus on youth employment

Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health welcomes the commitment in the 2015 Federal Budget of $330 million to improve employment outcomes for young Australians. In particular we support the targeted funding of $19.4 million over four years for two support trials to help improve employment outcomes for young people up to the age of 25 with mental ill-heath.

One of these programs will trial the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) intervention for young people with an experience of mental ill-health in 15 locations around Australia.

Orygen has conducted significant research into the effectiveness of IPS services and found that these programs can support in excess of 85 percent of young people with severe mental illness to get back to work, education and training.

Professor Eoin Killackey, Head of Functional Recovery Research at Orygen, is recognised as an international leader in vocational recovery services and his work forms the basis of the Tell Them They’re Dreaming report on Work, Education and Young People with Mental Illness in Australia. This report strongly supports IPS services as an effective and cost-effective way to return young people with an experience of mental ill-health to work or study and ensure less of these young people require the Disability Support Pension.

Orygen stands ready to work with the Australian Government and the mental health and employment service sectors to support young people with mental ill-health to pursue their vocational goals and live productive and contributing lives.