THE Daily News last week reported that just more than half of apprentices in Queensland left their training without completing the four-year qualification.

Now, research by youth and careers platform Skillsroad, claims to have found young people in Australia are not flourishing like they should and this is affecting the bottom line of Australian businesses.

The data suggests that average levels of wellbeing are not only affecting our youth but also the bottom line of Australian businesses.

Commissioned by Apprenticeship Support Australia the Skillsroad 2017 Youth Census was issued to identify the concerns and issues affecting our youth when it comes to their transition from school to work, and to address the current concerns of employers who are struggling to attract and retain young staff, despite soaring youth unemployment.

ASA managing director Darren Cocks said the study linked average levels of wellbeing to high job turnover, the national skills shortage, increasing university and vocational dropout rates, and a myriad of employment issues.

"The fact that young people are ranking pay as the most important consideration when applying for a job shows that young people are likely to prioritise money over career paths that they're genuinely passionate about, increasing the chances of them ending up in a career they don't enjoy and impacting their confidence and resilience,” Mr Cocks said.

"Given, when an employee resigns, it can cost as much as 400 per cent of their salary, the cost of churn is a heavy burden for many companies.

"Pursuing careers that are intrinsically important to young people is far more likely to result in engaged staff who enjoy their work, have fewer sick days, benefit from higher levels of wellbeing and are therefore more likely to stay longer.”

The study also supported previous research that parents possessed a lot of influence in shaping a young person's career, as they were ranked the most likely person to turn to for career advice.

"We need to supply parents with information and tools so that career conversations are positive, unbiased and comprehensive,” Mr Cocks said.

"These conversations to happen early and present youth with all the options so they have the best chance of choosing the path that need suits them, makes them happy-minimising the risk of a false start-and increases wellbeing.

"As a community we need to be mindful we are not pushing any one career pathway-whether it's because of a lack of resources or a misguided belief that one tertiary system is better than the other-we need to encourage young people to find out what truly interests them and plays to their strengths.”

Just more than half (52.3 per cent) of young people still at school plan to attend university, despite some holding fears of a lack of jobs post-graduation in some sectors, and financial hardship during their degree.

Only 15.8 per cent were considering VET pathways such as apprenticeships and traineeship despite those graduates being more likely to be in employment post completion than university graduates.

"We need to enable young people to make informed career choices by making a greater investment in educating students on all career pathways, their suitability to these, and how and where to pursue them to improve productivity and reduce employee turnover,” Mr Cocks said.