Students call for stronger career guidance and clearer pathways to employment

Frankston Mornington Peninsula LLEN (FMPLLEN) Executive Officer, Angela Byatt, recently facilitated a student discussion on employment and career pathways at the Committee for Frankston & Mornington Peninsula Student Workshop Forum, where one message came through loud and clear: young people want better career guidance and more information about their options after school.

Hosted by South East Water on 19 June, the Student Workshop Forum brought together more than 110 student leaders from 12 secondary schools across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. Across two forums facilitated by the Committee for Frankston & Mornington Peninsula, students shared their experiences, concerns and aspirations directly with local Members of Parliament and councillors, providing valuable insight into the issues they want decision-makers to prioritise.

Five key themes consistently emerged across the workshops, with Employment Uncertainty and Future Career Pathways identified as one significant concern.

Students described growing uncertainty about whether traditional pathways to secure employment still exist. They spoke about the increasing difficulty of accessing entry-level opportunities and the challenges of transitioning from education into meaningful work. Many also raised concerns about the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on future jobs and career security.

For FMPLLEN, these findings reinforce the importance of providing young people with meaningful career education, industry engagement and clear pathways into further education, training and employment.

"Young people are telling us they want more support to navigate an increasingly complex world of work," said Angela Byatt. "Their concerns highlight why partnerships between schools, industry, training providers and community organisations are so important in helping students make informed decisions about their futures."

While the workshops explored a broad range of issues affecting young people, the strongest overarching message was one of uncertainty about the future. Students consistently called for greater investment in education, wellbeing, opportunities and meaningful youth voice to help address the challenges facing their generation.

FMPLLEN remains committed to working alongside schools, employers, government and community partners to strengthen career education and create more accessible pathways that empower every young person to successfully transition from school to further education, training and employment.