This report examines how families help shape the choices young people make after they leave or finish school. It's the fifth report in their series of reports on the challenges faced by Learning for Life students in making successful post-school transitions.

The authors found there were some main factors that helped young people and their families in making these decisions:

• Families provided a 'safe and secure' net while allowing young people the freedom to make their own choice.
• Choices are on the whole not constrained by family expectations.
• Financial support was not in itself sufficient in helping young people achieve their goals, with mentoring and support from friends and teachers complementing support from families.

There were also three main barriers acknowledged in the report:

1. There are few instances of families and schools working together closely to provide guidance.
2. Young people had no familiarity with university environments.
3. Year 12 students suffered from a self-imposed pressure that had a detrimental effect on their exam results.

The report is available on The Smith Family's website, at: http://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/index.cfm?pid=2535&pageid=2882