Children are not able to fully enjoy their rights in the same ways as adults do. Similarly, children are incapable of either fully contributing to or fully sharing in the benefits of economic growth independently. At the same time, the children and teenagers of today, are the future workforce upon which the prosperity of the State is largely dependent. With this in mind, children and young people have a unique position in our society which requires special scaffolding to ensure they are enabled to develop to be productive members of the community.
Put simply, if we want to create the skilled workforce that South Australia’s employers need, we must enable our children and young people to have an ongoing connection to meaningful education and regular employment; to be confident in their capabilities and role in the community; and to have the opportunities to explore and develop their skills and creativity.
In order to address the issues preventing some children and young people sharing in the benefits of economic growth, we must:
- Understand children and young people;
- Keep children and young people connected to education;
- Actively address disadvantage; and
- Improve pathways to employment for all.