There have never been so many education and training options available to school leavers! This is great news because employment opportunities are better for people who do further study after school. ABS figures show that the unemployment rate for those with a bachelor degree or above was half the rate than for those without such qualifications.

Education and training not only improves your chances of gaining long term employment it also means you are likely to earn more money than those who don’t go onto further study or training.

Unemployment rate by highest educational qualification (%)

* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.

At first glance, the cost of further study may seem overwhelming. You need take into account course fees, text books, transport and living expenses but there are many services out there that can support you. These may include student concessions, scholarships or assistance with money to help take the load off course fees and living expenses.

Don’t forget there are also scholarships available that you can apply for which will help to pay for all or part of your study. Individual institutions offer scholarships for students who have excelled or to assist students with special needs, including rural students or students from low income families. A searchable database for scholarships nationwide can be found in the Facts section of myfuture.

Changes to Youth Allowance

Do you get Youth Allowance (Other) or think you might start claiming Youth Allowance (Other)? If the answer is “Yes”, then you need to know that Youth Allowance (Other) has changed and these changes may affect you. If you apply for and get Youth Allowance (Other) and you don’t have Year 12 or a Certificate II qualification, you will probably need to do further study or training to receive the allowance. For more information visit Centrelink.