Only half of young people in Australia feel confident in applying for a job. This, coupled with a youth unemployment rate of 9.2% as of May 2025, shows the need for targeted support to equip young people with the skills needed for navigating today’s complex job market.
For young people, particularly those from marginalised groups like First Nations youth, there are additional barriers in securing employment and advancing careers.
atWork Australia is working together with headspace and their Work & Study Online program, to provide tailored support to our First Nations youth cohort. The program is one-on-one, online support for 15- to 25-year-olds. The flexible nature of the headspace Work & Study Online program can effectively support young people with complex needs such as vocational, mental health or living in a remote location, to achieve their goals.
Our experience has shown that when clients receive holistic, wrap around services they feel better supported to achieve their goals. By working with organisations such as headspace, we can collaborate to provide a more coordinated and efficient support system.
Riley’s story
This story highlights the tailored support provided to a First Nations early school leaver with limited work experience. Through collaborative, culturally sensitive engagement and consistent guidance, Riley was empowered to face complex barriers and re-engage with employment pathways.
23-year-old, First Nations client, Riley*, connected with atWork Australia with the goal to find employment as a labourer. An early school leaver, Riley had been out of employment for two years and had disengaged from both work and study.
He had also recently lost his licence, adding an additional barrier to employment. The atWork Australia team recognised that Riley needed culturally specific support, and Riley was referred to headspace Work & Study Online
The headspace team, including a First Nations Work and Study Specialist, took the time to understand Riley’s experiences holistically. Acknowledging the impact of disconnection from education, long-term unemployment, and barriers including licence loss, the team worked on Riley’s motivation, cultural resilience, and aspirations for meaningful, hands-on work.
Together, Riley and his headspace Work and Study Specialist focused on exploring vocational pathways in labouring and construction including relevant certification and training options required for entry into the industry. The program also offered a unique form of advocacy, which helped Riley express his needs to the atWork Australia team, particularly when navigating course options or communicating needs that may have been difficult to express independently.
From here, atWork Australia had a better understanding of Riley’s needs and were able to financially support Riley to enrol in a Certificate III in Supply Chain. He is now being supported to complete his study and is making progress towards his goals.
Kendra’s story
This story captures the journey of a young First Nations woman who has overcome significant mental health challenges to not only gain the confidence to pursue further study but also take the courageous step of applying for employment—demonstrating remarkable resilience, growth, and self-belief.
22-year-old First Nations client Kendra* lived in a regional town with limited opportunities in her field of interest—Youth Work—she was preparing to begin formal study but felt uncertain about managing the workload.
Kendra had complex needs including neurodiversity, mental health concerns and her vocational aspirations. The atWork Australia team saw benefit in Kendra having additional wrap around support to meet her goals, especially from an organisation in her field of interest.
The headspace Work & Study Online team supported her with a range of services from mental health assessment support, to helping her navigate youth work study, to mental health-safe mentoring and tailored job-search preparation.
As a First Nations young person, she was supported through conversations that centred around culturally safe and community-led options. This included exploring spaces created by mob, for mob—particularly those offering external clinical care within her local community. These discussions helped ensure that the supports considered were not only appropriate but also aligned with her cultural identity and sense of belonging.
Despite living in a remote location, through headspace Work & Study Online support, connections were made in the young person’s local area to build their support networks, find opportunities and engage meaningfully in their ongoing career journey.
She was actively engaged with atWork Australia during the job preparation phase. When a suitable opportunity arose, the atWork Australia team was able to provide on-the-ground support during the application process. This collaboration allowed each service to focus on their specific area of expertise as part of Kendra’s wrap around support. While headspace focused on behind-the-scenes support and preparation, atWork Australia managed the final steps to supporting Kendra progress through applications.
As a result, Kendra was interviewed by a preferred employer in a culturally safe environment and identified several promising local work experience opportunities.
This positive end outcome for Kendra came because of the collaborative partnership between headspace Work & Study Online and atWork Australia. We look forward to continuing to support her on her employment journey and beyond.
“I feel a lot more confident in my abilities especially looking for work in meaningful places and completing my studies. I feel that I can make better decisions about where I’m going moving forward.” – Kendra, atWork Australia client.
*Names changed for privacy.