The annual survey period for the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), a study following young Australians from their mid-teens to mid-twenties as they move from school into further study and training, work, and into adulthood, has now commenced.
This year around 10 000 young Australians aged 19 and 25 will be contacted about a wide range of topics, including future aspirations, vocational and higher education, employment and job seeking, health, living arrangements, volunteering, social support, financial stress, and their satisfaction with various aspects of life.
“LSAY has provided a rich source of information about young people and their pathways for over 20 years,” said Simon Walker, Managing Director of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), which has managed the survey since 2007.
“This crucial information assists researchers and governments to make informed decisions about policies that affect young Australians, both now and into the future.”
LSAY participants are recruited when they are 15 years old from Australian schools that take part in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and are contacted once a year until they are 25.
“This makes this year’s questionnaire the tenth and final survey for the cohort aged 25 years, which is an incredible achievement,” Mr Walker said.
“The depth and breadth of information they have shared with us over the last ten years is quite extraordinary. It helps us to better understand young peoples’ experiences, the challenges they face and the factors that contribute to successful transitions into adulthood.”
To get the most accurate picture of what life is like for Australian youth, the LSAY requires as many survey responses as possible.
“We therefore strongly encourage all chosen LSAY participants, no matter where they’re at in life, to complete their survey once they are contacted,” Mr Walker said.
LSAY participants can complete their survey in one of 2 ways: either wait for a call from Wallis Market & Social Research, or complete it online at: www.lsay.edu.au/survey-participants
To learn more about what kind of data the LSAY collects and how valuable it can be, view our range of infographics developed from recent LSAY data here: www.lsay.edu.au/publications/infographics
Media enquiries: Deanne Loan, Manager, Digital Publishing and Communications M: 0413 523 691 E: communications@ncver.edu.au
About NCVER: we are the main provider of research, statistics and data on Australia’s VET sector. Our services help promote better understanding of VET and assist policy-makers, practitioners, industry, training providers, and students to make informed decisions.
LSAY is managed by NCVER and conducted by Wallis Market & Social Research on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education.