cartoon of young Aboriginal people

Working with Aboriginal young people

Overview of the needs & issues

Aboriginal people are the most disadvantaged group in our community.

  • Most indicators of poverty and related disadvantage show that Aboriginal people are between 2 and 3 times worse off than non-Aboriginal people in Australia. 1
  • Being disengaged from education and employment increases the risk of poverty. 1
  • Only 45% of Aboriginal teenagers are still at school, compared to 70% of non-Aboriginal teenagers. 1
  • 35% of Aboriginal teenagers are unemployed or not participating in the labour force, compared to 10% of non-Aboriginal teenagers. 1
  • Aboriginal people have a low rate of school retention (staying at school to complete their HSC), and a low rate of entry to tertiary education. 7
  • The life expectancy of Aboriginal people is 20 years less than non-Aboriginal people. 3
  • Aboriginal people are 20 times more likely to be homeless. 8
  • Aboriginal people suffer greater ill health, are more likely to experience disability and reduced quality of life than non-Aboriginal people. 3
  • Contrary to popular belief, Aboriginal people receive over 30% less financial support per person than non-Aboriginal people. 23

Aboriginal people also face a range of other disadvantages such as racism and discrimination on a daily basis.

Youth services can reduce some of the disadvantages faced by Aboriginal people by helping young people stay connected (or be re-connected) to education and employment, by providing practical assistance and support and by addressing racism and discrimination in the broader community.

Sometimes service providers think that working with Aboriginal people is too challenging. It is important to know that doing nothing is a choice that results in Aboriginal people missing out on services that they are entitled to receive and perpetuating the disadvantage faced by Aboriginal communities.

Your service can help address the disadvantages faced by Aboriginal young people so they are closer to enjoying the same life opportunities as other young people.

Many Aboriginal young people already use youth services.

The NSW Youth Services Census, conducted by the Youth Action & Policy Association, showed that in Western Sydney 10% of young people who use mainstream youth services are Aboriginal. The proportion of young people who are Aboriginal varies from youth project to youth project. 27

This figure is significantly higher than the proportion of young people in the general population who are Aboriginal.

Many youth programs are funded to work with the most disadvantaged young people. It is no surprise that a large number of Aboriginal people use youth services, because Aboriginal people are the most disadvantaged group in the community.

Even if your service is already accessed by Aboriginal young people you can still take practical steps to make sure that your service is appropriate and that it meets their needs.