Young Australians want schools to teach them how to understand taxes, super and government processes rather than being thrown in the bureaucratic deep-end when they reach adulthood.
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A study from the Monash and Australian Catholic universities has found young people often feel alone in navigating their first interaction with government services, usually coinciding with moving out of the family home.
'I don't think I learnt anything like this in school, I had to figure it all out myself or through other people," one respondent said.
Some young people felt the high school approach to navigating early adulthood could be more practical.
"'(We are told) what being on meth looks like, but there's nothing about Centrelink, there's nothing about Youth Allowance, there's nothing about how you deal with HECS," another respondent said.
The universities, in partnership with the Australian Public Service Reform Office, conducted surveys and focus groups with almost 3000 Australians aged 18 to 30 and combined this with social media analysis.
Monash University research fellow Ben Lyall said many young people were able to navigate services through platforms like MyGov but faced a baptism of fire on their way to independence.
"They're becoming legally or formally adults at the age of 18 and suddenly it's a bit of a learning curve to learn how to get a tax file number, to file a tax return, to grab your own Medicare supports ... and also doing all the planning to do possible future education," he told AAP.
While younger Australians were skilled at navigating digital platforms, many respondents wanted to engage either in person or over the phone for more complex issues.
Young people also wanted to see better integration of mental health support across public services.
"On paper, you might approach your public service for financial support, but there's a high chance something else is happening in the background and you'd really ideally like the service providers to be aware of that," Dr Lyall said.
He said the study, which intersected with the early throes of COVID-19 lockdowns and government relief, found taboos in seeking help had eased.
"Young people are really uncomfortable with stereotypes around seeking support from public services," Dr Lyall said.
"They would love to see the death of language like 'dole bludger' and things like that as much as anybody else."
By the age of 25, 38 per cent of young people have received a government allowance, according to Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth data.
Australian Associated Press
