This report looks specifically at the views of more than 540 young people who have used MA's services and who took part in the organisation’s 2014 Youth Survey (which gathered around 13,600 responses in total). These disadvantaged young people are keen to work and build a life for themselves; in fact, MA CEO Catherine Yeomans says that they are ‘more likely to prioritise getting a job compared to other young people’.

Most young MA clients had similar aspirations and hopes to other young people, and their views broadly coincided with those of other young people when it came to values and personal concerns. Young MA clients strongly valued family relationships and friendships, despite the difficulties some of them face in their own lives. And both MA clients and other young people listed coping with stress and school or study problems as the two top personal concerns; however the MA clients rated depression as their third concern, while other young people rated body image as their third issue of concern.

For MA clients, where they lived was of concern, as they often lived in regional or remote areas of outer suburbs of cities, where transport and access to jobs can be problematical.

A list of recommendations from MA listed in this report includes, among other things, more investment in career pathways and youth transition programs, addressing the issues of transport, affordable housing and mobility support, and the development of peer-led programs to support young people through transition.

This report will be of particular interest to anyone working with disadvantaged young people in the areas of transition and overall development.  

Voices of the vulnerable (31 pages) is available from the Mission Australia website.