If You’re 15-24 You’re Entitled to Free Career Advice—Here’s What’s Involved

Career counselling sessions can cost up to $200... Youth Advisory Sessions are free!

This article is presented in partnership with The Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

Let’s be real—finding work and, more specifically, finding the motivation to apply for jobs is hard. It can feel like a full-time job in and of itself.

And you shouldn’t have to go at it alone. But if you’ve attended some uninspiring school counselling sessions or had unproductive chats with your folks, you may have found that good advice can feel hard to come by.

But the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) is one step ahead.

If you’re aged between 15 and 24 and in online and digital employment services, you’re entitled to three free one-hour advisory sessions with a specialist youth consultant.

What exactly is that? Well, it’s a great opportunity to speak to someone face-to-face, over the phone or video call who is literally trained to give you advice and help you get into work and training.

Intrigued? Here’s a bit more info.

What do the sessions cover?

When it comes to the topic of employment and training, there’s not much you can’t cover in these sessions.

If you need to sit down and talk to someone about what you actually want to do, what inspires you and how to find out what’s out there, this is the perfect option.

If you already know what you want to do but just need help finding job opportunities in your local area, consultants can also help with that.

Plus, they’re equipped with plenty of job interview tips and support to improve your skills. Like we said, applying for jobs can be exhausting but they’re always up for a pep talk.

If you need other government or community assistance, such as mental health support, they can also connect you with those resources.

Who are the consultants?

You’ll be set up with a Transition to Work (TtW) provider.

They’re specialists in employment services and have lots of experience helping young people into work and training.

What’s more—they’re locally based, so they’ll understand the location you’re seeking work in really well.

Just give them an idea of what you want to talk about when booking the session so your consultant can come prepared with the best information for you!

How do I know if I’m eligible?

It’s simple. If you’re between 15-24 years old, you’ve already ticked one box.

The other requirement is that you’re participating in online and digital employment services.

The sessions are designed for people to actively engage in these services.

How do I apply?

Very easily. You just have to head to your dashboard and go to the Activities Tab.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be able to select ‘Youth Advisory Session’ as an activity and search for a provider in your area.

From 4 July it’ll be even easier!  You’ll be able to access Workforce Australia online at WorkforceAustralia.gov.au or download the Workforce Australia mobile app from the App Store or Google Play.  You’ll be able to sign up for Youth Advisory Sessions from there!

If you need more information, check out the Frequently Asked Questions on the DESE website.

Remember: you’re employable, and you’ve got this. Go kill it out there!