In 2022, 70% of YWC legal clients were apprentices. They reached out to us from a range of industries about often a hybrid of issues, including but not limited to, wage theft, bullying, harassment, and other Occupational Health and Safety issues. 

Apprenticeship completion rates are low, at around 53% in Victoria. A study by The National Centre for Vocational Education Research found that the way apprentices are treated in their employment is the core reason why apprentices are withdrawing from their apprenticeships, not the education they are receiving at TAFE.

Given apprentices disproportionate exposure to wage theft, bullying and unsafe workplaces in Victoria, knowing their workplace rights and where to get help are core life skills that young apprentices need to enter the workforce safely.

Apprentice Voice aims to create fairer and safer workplaces for all Victorian apprentices from the beginning of their apprenticeship to completion. Apprentice voice aims to educate all Victorian apprentices to know their rights at work and where to seek support if they need it.

We want to support apprentices to affect change in their workplaces, so that the workplaces themselves are more conducive to apprenticeship success, and so that apprentices are better aware of how to address issues that arise at any stage of their employment.    

Together we have the power to make every workplace better. 

The Young Workers Centre is a one-stop-shop for young workers, aged 30 and under in Victoria, who want to learn more about their rights at work or who need assistance in resolving workplace issues.

Our team of lawyers, organisers, educators, and researchers seek to empower young people working in Victoria with the knowledge and skills needed to end workplace exploitation and insecurity. 

We deliver workplace rights training to young Victorians as well as produce resources aimed at assisting young people to understand their rights at work and social events for young people who want to get involved in the fight for safe and secure jobs.

Since 2016 the YWC has delivered workplace rights training to over 50,000 students in Victoria, assisted 2400 young workers with workplace issues and recovered more than $2 million in compensation for young workers. 

The Centre is also an accredited community legal centre and provides personalised advice for young people who have come across issues at work such as unfair dismissal, bullying and harassment. 

We strongly believe that we can limit the risk to young people through education and the integration of comprehensive workplace rights education is key to equipping young workers to advocate for themselves at work and keep them safe early on in their working life.  

With their own experiences and perspectives each member of our team makes the Young Workers Centre as successful as it is in helping young workers. 
 
Whether it be support through a workplace issue or educating young people about their rights as they move into working life. 

Director: 

Principal Solicitor: 

Paloma Cole

Paloma joins us from Fitzroy Legal Services, where she was Acting Manager and Senior Community Lawyer. She is passionate about using the law as a vehicle for justice and progress through individual client representation and wider law reform and will bring this passion and expertise to the Young Workers Centre! 

Solicitors: 

Shannen Bethune 

Shannen is a junior lawyer passionate about worker’s rights. Prior to bopping over to YWC, she worked at the United Workers’ Union for over 5 years, primarily assisting Cleaners and Early Educators. Off the clock, she loves a cult doco, a drink with friends, and alternating between reading theory books and memoirs of the chaotic female genre. 

Alessandra Galletti 

Alessandra (she/her) had no idea what area of law she wanted to specialise in after completing her legal studies until she became involved in the union movement. She developed her passion for unionism and workers rights whilst working as an Industrial Advocate.  

She has the title of owning the most cats in the Young Workers Team (three) and spends her free time with friends and family watching, playing and talking about sport. 

Maddy Spooner 

Maddy (she/they) has been a union member for their whole working life, but became more of an activist during their time as an Advocate at the Young Workers Centre in Semester 2 of 2023. Maddy is currently completing their law degree and practical legal training, and spends their free time learning how to sew. 

Outreach Organisers: 

Siane Grant-Hayes

Siane (she/her) has a background in education and is passionate about young people’s wellbeing. Far from just a morning journal and a walk (though she is partial to both those things), Siane sees wellbeing as a structural issue and is passionate about young people leading the changes that effect them.

Siane’s also had her fair share of dodgy bosses and is proud to be helping young people have positive experiences at work. Outside of the YWC Siane loves sitting in the sun, eating and swimming.

Katie Hanh-Vo

Katie (she/they) is experienced in youth-focused work, especially youth from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. A great part of Katie’s work and activism has been on assisting and empowering newly arrived youth and adults to connect with their community.

Outside of the YWC, Katie loves hanging out with their cat, Sushi and making their own clothes as a form of protest against the fast fashion industry.

Nina Mountford

Nina (she/they) has a background in theatre making and a strong commitment to unionism. Dedicated to worker’s rights, accessibility, and the arts, Nina joined the YWC excited to help young people reach safe, secure, and well-paying employment through education and support.

Outside of their union work, Nina can be found making and watching theatre, reading, lounging, and gesticulating wildly.

Olivia Baldwin

Olivia (she/her) has a background in political science and has been involved in social justice advocacy since high school. After spending her early years in the workforce in retail and hospitality she learnt the importance of standing up for yourself and organising in the workplace. Having also spent time at the Fair Work Ombudsman, Olivia also has insight into how complex understanding your rights can be but also how important it is to fight for them!

Outside of work you can find her at a concert, a gig, or just watching music videos on the couch with her friends.

Lyndon Caswell

Lyndon (he/him) is about to finish his law degree and has been passionate about workers’ rights and social justice for as long as he can remember. As someone who worked a lot of hospo jobs after high school, he has seen how young workers are treated firsthand and believes they deserve better. Before his time as an outreach organiser, he was a legal advocate with The Young Workers Centre in 2024.

Outside of YWC, you can find Lyndon driving virtual race cars, watching sport or spending time with his dog, Betty.

Angus Leech