Youth Mobilities, Aspirations and Pathways

More young people than ever before are moving in and out of Australia for work, study, cultural experiences and to spend time with friends and family.  Many young people today are looking to create global careers and lifestyles, and see living overseas as providing exciting new skills and experiences, or just a break from the traditional life-path. But what actually happens in the long-term to careers, social and family lives and sense of belonging when you are ‘on the move’ between the ages of 18 and 30? How do young people navigate becoming adults alongside leaving, settling in, staying away and coming home?  

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In the YMAP Project, funded by the Australian Research Council, our team of youth studies and migration studies researchers are examining transnational mobility amongst young people moving both in and out of Australia in order to understand its real-life effects on their economic opportunities, social and family ties, citizenship and transitions to adulthood.

 

The project involves a five-year longitudinal study of 2000 young people aged 18-30, including both Australian citizens/permanent residents who have left Australia for 6+ months, and overseas citizens/permanent residents who have entered Australia for 6+ months.