The Department of Employment and Youth Affairs was established on 5 December 1978 by Executive Council Minute (Commonwealth Gazette, No S267, 5 December 1978).
 
In a press release on 30 November 1978, the Prime Minister explained that there had been expansion of employment and training programmes under his government and expansion of the Commonwealth Employment Service.
 
This expansion, and the importance of the areas compelled division of the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations [I] into two separate portfolios, the Department of Employment and Youth Affairs and the Department of Industrial Relations and the transfer of the Office of Youth Affairs to the employment portfolio (Prime Minister, Press Release, Ministerial Changes, 30 November 1978).
 
The Administrative Arrangements Orders of 5 December 1978 (see Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S269, 5 December 1978, p 1) included the following list of principal matters administered by the Department of Employment and Youth Affairs:
 
. Commonwealth Employment Service
. Manpower and training
. Youth Affairs
. Reinstatement in civil employment - of national servicemen, 
  members of the Reserve Forces and members of the Citizens Forces.  

At its creation the Department of Employment and Youth Affairs administered the following Acts:
 
. Commonwealth Employment Service Act 1978
. Defence Act 1903, sections 40A, 61, 61A, 61B, 61C and 118A
. Defence (Re-establishment) Act 1965, Parts I and II; and Part VII 
  except to the extent that section 59 relates to Parts III, IV, V 
  and VI
. National Service Act 1951
. National Service Termination Act 1973
. Re-establishment and Employment Act 1945 (certain parts)
 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S269, 5 December 1978, p 1).  
The Secretary and parts of the Department were based in Canberra while other Divisions were based in Central Office, Melbourne e.g. Commonwealth Employment Service Divisions. The distribution of divisions between Canberra and Melbourne is subject to further research.
 
On 7 May 1982, the Department of Employment and Youth Affairs and the Department of Industrial Relations were abolished and all their functions passed to a new Department of Employment and Industrial Relations [II] (CA 3255).
 
The Prime Minister in a press statement of 7 May 1982 stated that:  
 
 "The Government's policies in relation to maintaining high levels 
  of employment and effective industrial relations, and the close 
 links between these two areas, require the Departments of
 Industrial Relations and Employment and Youth Affairs to be brought 
 together again."
 
The Departments were split during the formative stages of the  employment and training programmes. The basis for the effective  operation and continued development of these programmes is now well  established.
 
Ministers for the Department of Employment and Youth Affairs were:  

 5 Dec 1978 - 15 Apr 1981   : Hon Robert Ian Viner (CP 316)
15 Apr 1981 -  7 May 1982   : Hon Neil Anthony Brown (CP 287).
 
Secretaries to the Department were:
 
 5 Dec 1978 - 13 Dec 1978   : Brian Tregillis (acting)
13 Dec 1978 -  7 May 1982   : R M Taylor.
Historical agency address
  1978-c 1979: Bligh House, National Circuit, Kingston ACT and
               Lombard House, 40 Allara Street, Canberra City ACT 
c 1979-  1982: NRMA House, Northbourne Avenue, Canberra ACT
Legislation administered
Creation: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S267, 5 December 1978 
Abolition: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S94, 7 May 1982