Youth in Focus: Navigating wellbeing in a changing world

Youth in Focus: Navigating wellbeing in a changing world, the eleventh report in the BCEC Focus on the States series, provides a comprehensive analysis of the priorities and perspectives of young Australians, offering key insights to shape future policy development.

The report draws on insights from young Australians aged 14 to 25, highlighting their biggest challenges and what they want to see change. While cost of living, education and mental health were identified as key concerns, the report also finds young people are leading the way in tackling social issues, such as calling out discrimination, racism and gender bias.

The report shows cost of living pressures have skyrocketed to become the most pressing issue for young Australians, with one third citing it as a personal concern and more than half (56 per cent) listing it as one of the biggest challenges facing the country.

The report also shines a light on growing frustration with Australia’s higher education system, particularly with policies such as the current HECS-HELP structure and the Job-ready Graduates Package which findings suggest are unfairly burdening young Australians.

Despite a slight decline in climate change ranking as a top priority, the report finds young Australians remain committed to environmental action. Three-quarters still want environmental protection prioritised over economic growth and 86 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds see climate change as a key voting issue.

However, the report also highlights young Australians’ growing disengagement from politics, with just one in eight expressing trust in the political process.

Read: Executive Summary: Youth in Focus

Report key findings and recommendations

Reflecting young people’s values in policy

• Conduct regular youth-directed research, polling and civic initiatives to inform policy, services and funding.
• Engage young Australians in governance and decision-making processes to ensure their voices are heard.
• Political parties must improve engagement with young voters or risk losing connection with a key constituency.

Mental health and wellbeing

• Urgently address the decline in young people’s mental health, particularly among young women.
• Strengthen community education programs to tackle discrimination, racism and gender inequality.
• Ensure workplaces where young people are employed enforce anti-discrimination measures.
• Carefully evaluate any social media bans to prevent unintended harm and develop safe online spaces for young people.

Education and employment

• Reform HECS-HELP to ensure equitable access to higher education without financial hardship.
• Redesign the Job-ready Graduate Program so that course fees align with workforce needs and future earnings.
• Improve education equity, particularly for disadvantaged youth, through targeted scholarships and policies.
• Address unstable employment among young workers by encouraging secure, rewarding employment conditions and expanding traineeships.

Cost of living

• Provide targeted cost-of-living relief for young Australians struggling with essential expenses.
• Review economic policies to ensure fair and effective interventions beyond reliance on RBA monetary policy.
• Take bold action to address intergenerational inequities in housing and improve homeownership rates.
• Increase income support and introduce a national program to end child poverty.

Young lives in a climate crisis

• Actively engage young Australians in climate policy, recognising their leadership in driving solutions.
• Support Australian youth in international climate forums and regional initiatives.
• Involve young people in recovery efforts from climate-related disasters to strengthen resilience and sustainability.