Target 7
By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (15-24 years) who are in employment, education or training to 67%
Nationally in 2021, 58.0% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years were fully engaged in employment, education or training (figure CtG7.1).
This is an increase from 57.2% in 2016 (the baseline year).
Nationally, based on progress from the baseline, the target shows improvement but is not on track to be met. However, this assessment should be used with caution as it is based on a limited number of data points. Please see the How to interpret the data page for more information.
The state and territory assessments below reflect progress from the baseline (improvement, worsening or no change). There are no state and territory targets. The Australia assessment reflects progress from the baseline towards the national target.
| NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of progress 2016 to 2021 |
improvement no change worsening no assessment available. improving and target on track to be met (Aust only). improving but target not on track to be met (Aust only).
Note: These assessments of progress should be used with caution as they are based on a limited number of data points.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who are engaged in employment, education or training are more likely to experience long-term positive outcomes in health, wellbeing, housing stability and economic participation (AIHW 2025; Durmush et al. 2021; White 2015). Increased engagement not only enhances individual life outcomes but also benefits family members, communities, and future generations by creating a positive cycle of opportunity, awareness and achievement (Biddle and Cameron 2012; Durmush et al. 2024; Lydster and Murray 2018).
Before colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people maintained comprehensive, self-sustaining educational and economic systems grounded in Lore/Law, relationships and Country (Hopkins 2019; Price and Rogers 2019). Cultural practices and practical experience passed down through generations equipped each community member with the essential skills needed to contribute to their community's livelihoods (Burridge and Chodkiewicz 2012; Hegazy 2021; Hughes and More 1997a). These well-established ways supported young people during the critical transition from childhood to adulthood to learn their roles and responsibilities and strengthened their sense of purpose and belonging to their community (Langton and Corn 2023; Price and Rogers 2019).
Colonisation and subsequent government policies of forced dispossession, displacement, separation and assimilation disrupted the ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people taught, learnt and distributed resources (ANTAR 2025; Pearson 2021; Yoorrook Justice Commission 2025). Western models of education and work often actively excluded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their use of their languages, denied cultural practices and facilitated exploitation (Dudgeon et al. 2014; Hogarth 2022; Leroy-Dyer 2021; Morrison et al. 2019). The intergenerational impacts of colonial policies continue to shape outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contributing to the ongoing overrepresentation of young people in out-of-home care and the criminal justice system (Menzies 2019; Yoorrook Justice Commission 2025).
Access to education plays a key role in influencing young people’s pathways to employment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who complete Year 12 education level or higher are significantly more likely to be employed, to work full time, and to hold higher skilled occupations than early school leavers (Venn 2018). Furthermore, post‑school education and adult learning are powerful drivers of health, wellbeing and economic mobility. Higher qualifications are associated with stronger employment, higher earnings and smoother study‑to‑work transitions (Social Research Centre 2024; AIHW 2025). Education also influences a person’s health, as adult learning and health literacy enables informed decision‑making (ACSQHC 2014; Institute of Health Equity 2014).
More than half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are actively engaged in formal employment, education or training. However, some continue to face barriers and challenges which impact participation. Engagement in both senior secondary and tertiary education can be impacted by factors such as health, cost, the prevalence of culturally responsive teaching practices and socially inclusive learning environments (Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson 2016; NCVER 2023; Prout Quicke and Biddle 2017; Gore et al. 2017). At universities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can face structural and interpersonal racism (Australian Human Rights Commission 2024). For some prospective students, enrolling in and attending university can involve a departure from Country and kin into largely Western ways of thinking, being and socialising. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people may choose alternate pathways that are more aligned with their cultural context and do not lead to disconnection from community and family (Gore et al. 2017). Higher education may be possible, but it may not always be desirable, with aspirations to pursue further study shaped by cultural safety and students’ feelings of belonging and inclusion (Gore et al. 2017).
Barriers to employment can include poor health outcomes (Azzopardi et al. 2018) and comparatively limited access to supportive workplaces (AIHW 2024). Geographic constraints, caring responsibilities and higher rates of disability can also reduce options for sustainable and meaningful employment (AIHW 2024; Commonwealth of Australia 2023; Evans et al. 2024; House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs 2021).
Long-term investment in, and power-sharing with, communities can strengthen the engagement, cultural identity and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and increase their participation in employment, education or training (Murrup-Stewart et al. 2021; White 2015). Establishing and supporting community-led, culturally appropriate social and academic programs can help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students transition to senior secondary and tertiary education, and bridge the gap between education and employment (McMahon et al. 2023; OECD 2019; Sanchez et al. 2023, Walter 2015).
Activities that strengthen self-determination and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business and community-controlled sectors can also have significant positive outcomes for youth employment and education (Coalition of Peaks nd; Evans et al. 2024; Supply Nation and First Australians Capital 2018). All employers and service providers can play active roles in achieving lasting improvements towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth engagement. Recruitment strategies and entry pathways that account for cultural and community obligations can reduce systemic discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people beginning education or employment and provide them with opportunities to live, study, train and work on Country (Eva et al. 2023; ISLC 2023; Liddle 2018).
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—— 2025, Closing the Gap targets: key findings and implications, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/indigenous-australians/closing-the-gap-targets-key-findings-implications/contents/further-education-pathways (accessed 22 January 2026).
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Pearson, N 2021, Mission: Essays, speeches & ideas, Black Inc.
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Yoorrook Justice Commission 2025, Yoorrook for transformation: Third interim report vol. 3.
Azzopardi, Sawyer, S, Carlin, J, Degenhardt, L, Brown, N, Brown, A and Patton, G 2018, ‘Health and wellbeing of Indigenous adolescents in Australia: a systematic synthesis of population data’, Lancet, vol. 24;391, no. 10122, pp. 766–782.
Biddle, N and Cameron, T 2012, ‘Potential factors influencing Indigenous education participation and achievement’, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), pp. 1–40.
Bodkin-Andrews, G and Carlson, B 2016, ‘The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education’, Routledge, Race Ethnicity and Education, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 784–807.
Burridge, N and Chodkiewicz, A 2012, ‘An historical overview of Aboriginal education policies in the Australian context’, in Burridge, N, Whalan, F and Vaughan, K (eds), Indigenous education: A learning journey for teachers, cchools and communities, Sense Publishers, pp. 11–21.
Coalition of Peaks nd, Economic development partnership: Informing the First Nations Economic Development Partnership, https://www.coalitionofpeaks.org.au/economic-development-partnership (accessed 8 April 2025).
Commonwealth of Australia 2023, Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability final report volume 9: First Nations people with disability.
Dudgeon, P, Wright, M, Paradies, Y, Garvey, D and Walker, I 2014, ‘Aboriginal social, cultural and historical contexts’, Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice, 2nd edn, Commonwealth of Australia, pp. 3–24.
Durmush, G, Craven, R, Yeung, A, Mooney, J, Horwood, M, Vosconcellos, D, Franklin, A, Duncan, C and Gillane, R 2024, ‘Enabling Indigenous wellbeing in higher education: Indigenous Australian youth-devised strategies and solutions’, Higher Education, vol. 87, no. 5, pp. 1357–1374.
Durmush, G, Craven, RG, Brockman, R, Yeung, AS, Mooney, J, Turner, K and Guenther, J 2021, ‘Empowering the voices and agency of Indigenous Australian youth and their wellbeing in higher education’, International Journal of Educational Research, vol. 109, p. 101798.
Eva, C, Bodle, K, Foley, D, Harris, J and Hunter, B 2023, ‘The importance of understanding Indigenous employment in the Indigenous business sector’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, vol. 58, pp. 494–522.
Evans, M, Polidano, C, Dahmann, C, Kalera, Y, Ruiz, M, Moschion, J and Blackman 2024, Indigenous business and corporation snapshot study 3.0, The University of Melbourne.
Gore, J, Patfield, S, Holmes, K, Smith, M, Lloyd, A, Gruppetta, M, Weaver, N, & Fray, L 2017, ‘When higher education is possible but not desirable: Widening participation and the aspirations of Australian Indigenous school students’, Australian Journal of Education, vol. 61, no. 2, pp.164–183.
Hegazy, H 2021, ‘A strength-based approach: Empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their learning potential’, Journal of Applied Research and Innovation, vol. 1, no. 3.
Hogarth, M 2022, ‘An analysis of education academics’ attitudes and preconceptions about Indigenous Knowledges in initial teacher education’, The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, vol. 51, no. 2, https://ajie.atsis.uq.edu.au/ajie/article/view/41 (accessed 1 October 2024).
Hopkins, S 2019, ‘The case for cultural economic participation: Achieving social and political change for Aboriginal peoples through community owned and run businesses’, NEW: Emerging scholars in Australian Indigenous studies, vol. 5, no. 1.
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs 2021, Report on Indigenous participation in employment and business.
Hughes, P and More, A 1997, ‘Aboriginal Ways of Learning and Learning Styles’, presented at the Aboriginal ways of learning and learning styles, Brisbane.
ISLC (Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation) 2023, Jobs and training on Country making a difference in 2022, https://www.ilsc.gov.au/home/news/jobs-and-training-on-country-making-a-difference-in-2022/ (accessed 12 September 2025).
Langton, M and Corn, A 2023, Law: The way of the ancestors, First Knowledges, Thames & Hudson.
Leroy-Dyer, S 2021, ‘A brief history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement in the Australian labour market’, Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, vol. 24, no. 1–2, pp. 35–53.
Liddle, C 2018, ‘Introduction – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment policies and repeating colonial histories’, Journal of Australian Political Economy, no. 82, pp. 5–8.
Lydster, C and Murray, J 2018, ‘Understanding the challenges, yet focusing on the success: An investigation into Indigenous university student’ academic success’, The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, no. 2, pp. 107–118.
McMahon, M, Chisholm, A, Yenara, A, Garling, T, Vogels, W, Vuuren, J and Modderman, C 2023, ‘Transformational mentoring experiences for First Nations young people: A scoping review’, Australian Social Work, vol. 76, no. 3, pp. 379–392.
Menzies, K 2019, ‘Understanding the Australian Aboriginal experience of collective, historical and intergenerational trauma’, International Social Work, vol. 62, no. 6, pp. 1522–1534.
Morrison, A, Rigney, L-I, Hattam, R and Diplock, A 2019, Toward an Australian culturally responsive pedagogy: a narrative review of the literature, University of South Australia - Document Services, Underdale.
Murrup-Stewart, C, Whyman, T, Jobson, L and Adams, K 2021, ‘“Connection to culture is like a massive lifeline”: Yarning with Aboriginal young people about culture and social and emotional wellbeing’, SAGE Publications Inc, Qualitative Health Research, vol. 31, no. 10, pp. 1833–1846.
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Venn, D 2018, ‘Indigenous youth employment and the school-to-work transition’, Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 210–228.
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Pearson, N 2021, Mission: Essays, speeches & ideas, Black Inc.
Walter, M 2015, ‘The vexed link between social capital and social mobility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, The, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 69–88.
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By sex
Nationally in 2021, a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males aged 15–24 years were fully engaged in employment, education or training (59.2%) compared to females (56.9%) (figure CtG7.2). The proportions increased by less than one percentage point for males and around two percentage point for females since the 2016 baseline year.
By age
Nationally in 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people fully engaged in employment, education or training was highest for people aged 15 years (91.5%). This rate declined for each year of age up to people aged 19 years (42.9%) before increasing slightly for people aged 20 to 24 years (ranging between 43.8 and 46.2%) (figure CtG7.3). This follows a similar pattern to the 2016 baseline year. While engagement rates remain higher for younger people, nationally between 2016 and 2021 saw a shift across the ages. The rate declined between one and three percentage points for people aged 15 to 17 years and increased between one and three percentage points for people aged 18 to 24 years.
By remoteness area
Nationally in 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years who were fully engaged in employment, education or training was highest in major cities (64.1%) (figure CtG7.4). The proportions declined as remoteness increased, down to 30.2% for people living in very remote areas. Since the 2016 baseline year, the proportions have increased for people living in inner regional and outer regional areas, but decreased in major cities, remote and very remote areas.
By Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) quintile
Nationally in 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years who were fully engaged in employment, education or training was highest in the least disadvantaged socio‑economic areas of Australia (79.0%) (figure CtG7.5). The proportions declined in more disadvantaged areas, down to 44.9% for people living in the most disadvantaged socio‑economic areas of Australia. Since the 2016 baseline year, the proportions increased for people living in the second most disadvantaged areas and the second least disadvantaged areas, but remained the same or decreased in the other socio‑economic areas (all movements were within one percentage point).
By disability status
Nationally in 2021, a lower proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years with a need for assistance with core activities were fully engaged in employment, education or training (44.8%) compared to people who do not have a need for assistance (59.0%) (figure CtG7.6). The proportions decreased by around one percentage point for people with a need for assistance with core activities and increased by around one percentage point for people who do not have a need for assistance, since the 2016 baseline year.
By category of engagement
Nationally in 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years who were fully engaged was mainly driven by people who were engaged through full‑time study (36.4%, a decrease of around two percentage point since the 2016 baseline), followed by people engaged in full‑time employment (18.1%, an increase of around one percentage point since the 2016 baseline). Less than one percentage point of people were involved in a combination of full‑time study and full‑time employment (1.2%) or a combination of part‑time study and part‑time employment (1.8%) (figure CtG7.7).
Target 7: Increase the proportion of youth who are in employment, education or training
| Outcome: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are engaged in employment or education. |
|---|---|
| Target: | By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (15–24 years) who are in employment, education or training to 67%. |
| Indicator: | The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth aged 15–24 years who are fully engaged in employment, education or training. |
| Measure: | The measure is defined as: Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years who are engaged in full‑time work, full‑time study and/or full‑time training or a combination of work and study and training Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the population aged 15–24 years old and is presented as a percentage. |
| Target established: | National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020 |
| Latest dashboard update: | 15 June 2023 |
| Indicator type: | Target |
| Interpretation of change: | A high or increasing proportion is desirable. |
| Data source: | Name: ABS Census of Population and Housing, Census Table Builder (Basic) Frequency: Five‑yearly Documentation (links): ABS - Census |
| Data provider: | Provider name: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Provider area: Census |
| Baseline year: | 2016 |
| Latest reporting period: | 2021 |
| Target year: | 2031 |
| Disaggregations: | State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by sex. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by age. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by remoteness areas. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by Index of Relative Socio‑economic Disadvantage (IRSD) quintile. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by disability status. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by engagement category. |
| Computation: | Numerator divided by Denominator multiplied by 100. Counting rules This data is for all Australian residents enumerated in the Census that reported having a usual residence in Australia. Geographical variables are based on a person’s place of usual residence (on Census night). Includes (both numerator and denominator)
Excludes (both numerator and denominator)
Disaggregations: Sex refers to a person’s biological characteristics. The 2021 Census allowed all respondents to select from three response options for the sex question: male, female and non-binary sex. Where a respondent has provided a male or female response and a non-binary sex response, the male or female response was used to determine a binary sex variable. Otherwise, sex was derived by a statistical process using random allocation. Remoteness area is classified according to the ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) using SA1 as the building block. For people with incomplete/invalid or missing address information, the ABS imputes the place of usual residence. The non-response rate at the SA1 level was 4.4% in 2021. Remoteness area disaggregations exclude ‘Migratory – Offshore – Shipping’ and ‘No usual address’. Please see the How to interpret the data page for more information. Socio‑economic status of the locality is classified according to the Socio‑Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA): Index of Relative Socio‑economic Disadvantage (IRSD), using SA1 as the building block. For people with incomplete/invalid or missing address information, the ABS will impute the place of usual residence. The data is reported by IRSD quintile, which is determined at the Australian level and excludes persons with unknown or unavailable SEIFA score. Some individual geographic areas were excluded from SEIFA for various reasons, such as low population or high non‑response to certain Census questions. Please see the How to interpret the data page for more information. Disability is classified according to core activity need for assistance. The data is only available for people with a profound or severe core activity limitation. Disability data sourced from the Census is based on four questions to identify need for assistance and may not be fully comparable with data from other sources. See ABS - Ausstats for more information. (Data for people whose ‘need for assistance with core activities’ was not stated is provided for context.) Age is derived from a person’s date of birth. If date of birth is not stated, an age value is imputed by the ABS. Engagement category describes whether a person was fully engaged through employment, study (including training) or a combination of the two activities. Total includes part‑time students that were employed but away from work or hours of work were not stated, and students where the Institution was stated but student status was not stated that were working part‑time, employed but away from work or hours of work were not stated. Extraction Census Table Builder (Basic) – Employment, Income and Education: INGP X EETP (STUP X LFSP/HRSP prior to 2016) X Main ASGS (UR) X AGE5P [Disaggregations: X SEX, X REMOTE (UR), X IRSD, X ASSNP, X EETP] |
| Data quality considerations: | All data values have been randomly adjusted using perturbation to avoid the release of confidential data. Proportions/rates calculated for small populations should be used with caution. |
| Future reporting: | Future reporting will seek to include the following additional disaggregations:
|
Driver
Proportion of youth Not Engaged in Employment, Education or Training (NEET)
By disability, long term health condition, caring responsibility, looking for work
- Proportion of NEET by main reason for not studying in last 12 months
Contextual information
- For youth engaged in education
- type of educational institution attending (school/ technical and further education/higher education)
- highest education level completed
- For youth engaged in employment
- proportion self-employed
- proportion by occupation
- proportion by industry
Proportion not engaged in employment, education or training (NEET)
By highest education level completed
- Progress towards parity
Material for download
Children are engaged in high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education in their early years data tables (XLSX 84.5 KB)
Youth are engaged in employment or education dataset (CSV 159.2 KB)To assist with interpretation of the data provided (Excel data tables and CSV dataset) please refer to the target data specifications and the indicator data specifications. The specifications are presented for each target and supporting indicator on their relevant dashboard page.