Posted
The youth unemployment rate in the Hobart suburb of
Glenorchy is 66 per cent higher than the national average, but young
people say they are missing out on opportunities due to lack of contacts
and appearance.
Key points:
- Young Tasmanians believe the employment market is driven by connections
- They say they are made to feel "not good enough for work"
- Transport remains a problem for people looking for work
Neysan Pertl, 24 — who was attending a local shopping centre's job fair — said he had tried to find work in agriculture and aquaculture after finishing university, but to no avail.
"Since February, this year alone I've applied for 140 positions and I've not had a single job interview," he said.
"It's very mentally draining and it puts you in a lot of doubt and you think, 'where am I going to go with my life?'."
Mr Pertl finally secured a position after knocking on the door of a tomato farm near his home.
But the work is seasonal.
"It's very challenging to set long-term goals with that sort of job and that sort of income I am on," he said.
"You can't just save up for a house or a car or do all those sort of things that everyone else can do with a full-time job."He believes the employment market in Tasmania is driven by connections.
"Here in Tasmania you need to know people, you need to know connections, Tasmania is very unique in that regard," he said.
'Not good enough for work'
Jasmyn Wilton, 19, also said she had lost count of the number of jobs she had applied for over the past three years.Having never secured a position, she said she was "really disappointed".
"I mean admittedly I feel like just giving up trying to get a job because it really is unfair," she said.
"I feel like I am not good enough for work, not good enough for them."She said she was looking for any kind of work to get started and was going to TAFE two days a week to improve her English and maths.
She believes her disabilities and age are the reasons why she has struggled to get a position.
"If you are 16, 17 you'll get a job quicker than if you are 18 or 19 because we're expensive to hire and the young ones are really cheap to hire," she said.
'I'm trying my hardest'
John Sherrin, 22, lost his job as an apprentice chef a week ago because he fell behind in his coursework."I'm trying my hardest. I've been a hard worker for three years, busting my guts out but no-one is willing to give me another shot," he said.
"Unless you have a friend working there, the chances of you getting a job is very slim."He believes there are jobs out there but employers are not willing to give people a go.
"I honestly think a big thing is just the way people look and that how they speak, just the way they act. But you shouldn't judge someone until you actually see how they work," he said.
Transport remains the biggest challenge
The CEO of the Tasmanian Council of Social Services, Kym Goodes, said opportunities to make the connections that can lead to employment were dwindling."We've lost in many parts of Tasmania the ability to form the right networks to be able to get into employment. The demise of footy teams and things like that which used to be the way younger people linked into employment," she said.
Ms Goodes said transport remained a big problem for people living in Glenorchy seeking work.
"Young people in Glenorchy tell us they'll do anything for a job, they are desperate to work, and they really want to work. One of their biggest challenges is transport," she said.
Michael Bailey from the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said social barriers were also an issue for young people.
"We know for example from a project we ran in Glenorchy that a number of children in that community, young teenagers, hadn't been outside of Glenorchy," he said.
"Trying to connect them to work for example in the Coal River or the Huon Valley was going to be nearly impossible."
He said businesses needed to be prepared to take on young people and give them a start.
"What we're seeing is fewer entry-level jobs and the opportunity for young people to get that first start into work they so desperately need," he said.
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