With seven reports, produced by FYA, since 2015, the New Work Order research series analysed how disruption to the world of work has significant implications for young Australians.

In a post-covid world, we need a new standard of thinking about good work.

FYA’s seventh and last report in the New Work Order series, The New Work Standard, investigates what part-time, casual, self-employed and gig work – or flexible work – means for young people and their career trajectories. The report identifies the trends in flexible work for young people, including a rapidly growing gig economy, and the risks and opportunities this work presents. The onset of COVID-19 and the resulting economic shock rapidly saw a number of risks of flexible work realised for young people. In a post-COVID world we need a new standard for good work, so that any jobs that are created in recovery, are good jobs.

The transition for young people between full-time education and full-time work is increasingly uncertain.

FYA’s latest report, The New Work Reality, follows the journeys of 14,000 young people over a decade to show that half of Australia’s 25 year-olds are unable to secure full-time employment, despite 60% holding post-school qualifications. The report identifies the four most significant factors that can accelerate the transition from full-time education to full-time work, including an education that builds enterprise skills, being able to undertake relevant paid work experience, finding paid employment in a sector which is growing and an optimistic mindset.

In the future of work, what we do in every single job, in every occupation will change.

FYA’s fifth report The New Work Smarts has analysed over 20 billion hours of work completed by 12 million Australian workers each year to reveal the skills that will matter most in 2030 to navigate this shift. The report has revealed that to navigate the new work order our understanding of what it means to be ‘smart’ must change.

The Fourth report in the series anaylysed 2.7 million job advertisements to reveal 7 new clusters of work.

These clusters highlight that jobs are closely related and more portable than previously thought – when a young person trains or works 1 job they acquire skills that will help them get 13 other jobs. What does this mean? Well, for one thing instead of thinking about a ‘dream job’ we could be preparing for a ‘dream cluster’ based on skills and interests.

An analysis of 4.2 million job ads revealed that since 2012 the demand for digital skills has increased by more than 200%, critical thinking by more than 150%, and creativity by more than 60% and presentation skills by 25%.

These are the New Basics that entrants to the economy already require, that employers will pay more for and which will be essential into the future. But are our young people ready?

The changing work landscape and the resulting complex career pathways present many challenges for young people. 

In Australia, nearly one in three young people are currently unemployed or underemployed and are finding it harder to move into full-time work, even after graduating from higher education. Our young people are not being prepared for work.

Beneath the seemingly benign surface of Australia's Labour market, there is a quiet revolution occuring in the way we work. 

Three global forces are rapidly changing the way we work: automation, globalisation and collaboration. Career pathways aren’t as linear as they used to be with young people expected to have 17 jobs across 5 careers in their lifetime – so how can we better prepare young people to navigate a portfolio of work?