Young Workers Strategy
Young workers are workers aged up to 25 years including apprentices, school-based apprentices, and trainees. This also includes all forms of employment including, but not limited to, casual, freelance or gig, labour hire, temporary, unpaid internships, work experience and work placements, full-time and part-time work.
Young workers are one of the most vulnerable cohorts in workplaces due to a combination of inexperience, inadequate training and supervision and being unaware of work health and safety (WHS) rights and responsibilities.
Young Workers Strategy
On 10 November 2021, WorkSafe ACT launched their inaugural Young Workers Strategy 2021-2023.
View or download the Young Workers Strategy 2021-2023 PDF (1.62MB) or Word (8.58MB).
The Strategy captures WorkSafe ACT’s approach to ensuring compliance with the management of work-related issues affecting young workers in the Territory. The Strategy targets the following priority industries in the first instance:
- Construction
- Accommodation and food services
- Health care and social services, and
- Retail trade.
Objectives
The key objectives of the Strategy are:
Priority areas of focus
WorkSafe ACT will focus on ensuring the following workgroups are prioritised for activities under the Strategy:
- Student workers and apprentices including international students
- Young workers and apprentices with a disability
- Young LGBTIQ+ workers and apprentices
- Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and apprentices, and
- Young workers and apprentices that are culturally and linguistically diverse.
Evaluation
WorkSafe ACT is committed to evaluating and reporting activities in support of its Strategies. The Young Workers Strategy 2021-2023 will undergo evaluation at 12 and 24 months, with a final evaluation report of activities and achievements released in the first quarter of 2024.
Young Workers Portal
WorkSafe ACT has developed information and resources for:
- young workers
- apprentices
- employers of young workers, and
- parents and guardians of young workers.
Visit the Young Workers Portal.
Resources
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011
- Utilities (Technical Regulation) Act 2004
- Guidance on supervision of apprentices
- Young worker safety toolkit – Work Safe Queensland
- Checklist for new and young workers – Government of Western Australia
- Health and safety tips for new and vulnerable workers – Access Canberra
- Employing young workers – Fair Work Ombudsman
- Young workers and students – Fair Work Ombudsman
- Young workers mental health – WorkSafe Victoria
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