NEITHER of the major parties have put forward policies adequate to deal with the crisis in youth unemployment, Anglicare Victoria chief executive Paul McDonald says. 

Mr McDonald said neither Labor nor the Liberals were prepared to give the same resources to young people, that they were prepared to promise for infrastructure or health. 

He said recent funding commitments were 'fringe policy arrangements' and were 'underwhelming'. 

"What is the vision to get young people in this state working?" Mr McDonald said. 

"There's a very difficult transition from school to work. 

"There's no core policy around young people to help them through that. 

"I would have thought that would be one of the centrepieces of an election narrative to the public."

Mr McDonald said youth unemployment rates had reached about one quarter in some parts of regional Victoria, figures he said were comparable with the dire unemployment situation in Spain. 

"It's not as easy as throwing a whole barrel of jobs at the young unemployed, but it's about guiding them through training so they stay with it," he said.

Mr McDonald said if the problem was fixed in the neediest communities, Victoria could be more economically and socially sustainable. 

Bendigo Labor MPs Maree Edwards and Jacinta Allan said Labor had a range of policies that would directly benefit disadvantaged youth. 

Ms Edwards said payroll tax relief to companies for hiring unemployed youth, the TAFE rescue fund, four years' funding commitment to Local Learning and Employment Networks and half price car registration fees for apprentices were measures to address the problem. 

Labor has also promised $10 million for a new tech school in Bendigo and will fund an agricultural campus for Bendigo TAFE.

Ms Allan said two programs, 'Career Horizons' and 'Passions and Pathways' announced on Wednesday would introduce high school students to job opportunities online and arrange business excursions for primary schools.

Liberal candidate for Bendigo East Greg Bickley said the government's $75 million Youth Employment Strategy provided vouchers of $2000 for businesses to hire unemployed youth, payroll tax exclusions and reduced WorkCover premiums. 

Mr Bickley said the strategy was aimed at young people aged 15 to 24.

"This is practical measure that will really help businesses in Bendigo give a young person unemployed for more than 6 months an opportunity to get into work and start their career," Mr Bickley said.

A Liberal party spokesman on behalf of candidate for Bendigo West Michael Langdon said the Napthine Government had released a comprehensive strategy to create jobs.

"The Government has invested $9 million in the ‘Your Future, Your Choice – Preparing for Tomorrow' initiative, which will give hands-on work and vocational training experiences for year 9 and 10 students at risk of disengaging from school," the spokesman said. 

He said the government had also invested $1.2 billion a year in skills training and that young people could find traineeships and apprenticeships on the government's Victorian Skills Gateway website.

He said the government would create a Future Skills Fund to build skill centres across Victoria.

"The Napthine Government is committed to working to ensure our young people have great employment opportunities, especially in Bendigo and surrounding areas," the spokesman said.