This publication highlights the key elements from the first edition of the LSAY annual report. Using LSAY data and research findings, it demonstrates how transitions for young Australians continue to change, underscoring the importance of longitudinal surveys in shaping youth policy.

The LSAY program:

• follows nationally representative cohorts of young people aged 15—25 years over a ten-year period, with interviews taking place annually
• covers a wide range of school and post-school topics, from student achievement and aspirations, to what young people do when they leave school
• allows for more nuanced and sophisticated analytical techniques, making it an important tool for gathering evidence for the development of youth policy
• is one of the few longitudinal surveys in the world that supports multiple cohorts, thereby allowing comparisons to be made across different time periods and between cohorts at the same age (see ‘Youth transition surveys in Australia’ on page 9).