FED: School leavers told to get a job or work for the dole

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-1999
FED: School leavers told to get a job or work for the dole

By Scott McFarlane

SYDNEY, April 19 AAP - School leavers unemployed for more than 12 weeks who refused to
commit to work-for-the-dole schemes would have their welfare benefits cut by 18 per cent, the
federal government said today.

Employment Services Minister Tony Abbott said idleness at taxpayers' expense would not be
tolerated from year 12 school leavers.

Announcing an extension to the government's work-for-the-dole scheme to school leavers
without a job for more than 12 weeks, he said young people should not consider life on welfare
as a career option.

If they refused to commit to a six-month work program their unemployment benefits would be
reduced by 18 per cent for three months, he said.

"I think that's a pretty strong message to people - if you leave school and you go on a
benefit, don't stay on it for three months because if you do you'll be given work in the
community," he said here.

"We don't want people to leave school and feel that life on welfare is one of their career
options.

"They'll have the option of work or work in the community but idleness at taxpayers'
expense is not going to be an option for kids leaving school."

He said school leavers could be absorbed into the existing program, 100,000 places over
four years, but refused to comment on the cost of places for school leavers because it was a
budget measure.

"The best way to help them (young people) to participate is to give them the habits of work
and work ethic and they're never going to get that sitting on welfare," he said.

"It's one of the signature programs and policies of the Howard government and I think it's
going to play a very big part in changing the culture of our country in the years to come."

He refused to speculate on further expanding the program from the initial scheme, which
covers people who have been unemployed for six months or more, aged between 18-24.

Union concerns about the scheme taking jobs from paid workers would disappear, he said.

"I think the unions are waking up to the fact that the community supports work for the dole
and I think they're also appreciating that one of the very strict requirements of a work for
the dole program is that it does not displace existing paid workers," he said.

"I think union opposition is eroding and I expect it to disappear."

A survey of the work for the dole pilot program showed more than 40 per cent of
participants who left the scheme went on to unsubsidised employment or further education
within three months.

Mr Abbott made the announcement while inspecting a work for the dole project site managed
by Wesley Mission in Arcadia in Sydney's north-east.

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KEYWORD: JOBS NIGHTLEAD

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