Young Australians lacking the basic skills to get a job will be given a leg up under a $35 million training program unveiled by the federal government.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Step into Skills program will help around 9000 disadvantaged young people at risk of falling between the cracks.
It's aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds who either haven't finished school or don't have qualifications in a trade or vocation.
The unemployment rate for these young people is 9.2 per cent, significantly higher than the national average.
Mr Rudd said the new program will provide "the stepping stones" for them to gain the general skills and knowledge needed to break into the jobs market.
"Even if some of our kids struggle a bit at high school, we want to know they won't be stuck in unemployment queues for the rest of their lives," the prime minister told reporters in Queanbeyan on Sunday.
The program will mainly be administered through TAFE and will offer young people basic skills in communication, self-management, problem solving and teamwork.
Mr Rudd said it will complement Labor's other education initiatives like the Better Schools plan, investment in early childhood education and developing a new national curriculum.
The $35 million for this program is already included in the budget and will be spent over three years.
