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Monash experts: School leavers navigating uncertain futures in a changing workforce

Monash University

As high school examinations take place across Australia, school leavers are entering a rapidly changing workforce and shifting economic conditions. 

Monash University youth and education expert, Professor Lucas Walsh, discusses whether traditional educational pathways are meeting student needs, how young Australians are managing career anxiety, and how their attitudes towards tertiary education and employment are changing.

Available to comment:

Professor Lucas Walsh, Director of the Monash Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice (CYPEP) and Professor of Education Policy and Practice, Faculty of Education, Monash University

Contact: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]

Read more of Professor Walsh’s analysis and opinion

 

  • Youth transitions from education into employment   

  • Young people’s career aspirations and career anxiety   

  • Impact of workforce change and artificial intelligence on future skills

The following can be attributed to Professor Walsh:

 

“As students begin their HSC exams in NSW this week, and Victorian students in the middle of their VCE exams, many are considering their next steps with a sense of career anxiety. Young people are facing a rapidly moving labour market, casualisation and ongoing economic pressure.   

 

“Our research through the Australian Youth Barometer shows that while traditional university pathways remain highly valued, young people are increasingly reassessing what education means for their future stability. They want pathways that offer practical adaptability rather than fixed, linear careers that may no longer exist in a decade.   

 

“To better prepare school leavers for an AI-driven workforce, education systems must go beyond technical skill delivery. We need embedded, early career conversations that build resilience, critical thinking and the ability to navigate ongoing workplace change and uncertainty.”

 

For more experts, news, opinion and analysis, visit Monash News.

For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]