the Y
the Y
| The Y Australia welcomes the focus on the care economy announced in last night’s Federal Budget Reply. In particular, we welcome the commitment to essential services including childcare and aged care to help chronic and ongoing shortages of carers across the nation.
The Y (formerly YMCA) has been calling for support for its innovative solution to help provide a much-needed new pipeline of employees for this critical industry. The new Y Career Agency will support young Australians to discover, train and undertake work placements in the care sector – providing a new supply of workers for one of Australia’s most critical and in-demand workforces. The Y Australia’s CEO, Tal Karp says: “We will continue to advocate for our place-based solution to ensure the high-need communities in which the Y operates will be able to tap into a pipeline of young, local care workers,” Karp says. “It will support local care operators and help keep young people in their own communities and in a meaningful career.” |
The latest research by Skillsroad of over 5,000 young people confirmed the health, aged care and disability sector is the top industry young Australians wish to work in. This is supported by The Y’s own research showing that older Australians are keen to have young people in care roles, and that these careers are attractive to many young people.
“The Y is already a significant and trusted employer of young people with around 8,000 young people working in our services. Every day our 12,500 people are caring for their fellow Australians in the 600 communities we work in from the Top End to Tassie; the east coast to west coast; and right in the centre of Australia.”
The Y Career Agency will ensure young Australians, especially those in regional areas, can discover and be actively engaged and supported into care work opportunities. In an Australian first, the Y found 42 hot spot regions where youth unemployment and a need for care workers was highest – with almost half in regional and rural areas.
About the Y
The Y is a community not-for-profit and the oldest youth organisation in the world (177 years’ old). Services include: children’s services (early learning, kindergarten and OSHC), recreation (swimming, gyms, gymnastics), camping, youth programs and disability services. Last year there were 29.5 million visits to the Y, including 9.84 million by children and 1.2 million from young people.
Find out more about the Y Y-Career-Agency-4-page-flyer.pdf (ymca.org.au).
For an interview with the Y’s National CEO Tal Karp please contact: Dianne McDonald
M: 0412 858 556 e: Dianne.mcdonald@the-y.org.au