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As a part of Western Australia's Youth Week, being held from 5th to 12th April, Royal Life Saving WA is highlighting its Talent Pool program - an innovative training and employment program for all youth across the state with a specific focus on providing pathways for Aboriginal young people.

With 60% of the aquatic workforce in Australia aged under 25 and, as of 2022, 60% of pool lifeguards being students, Royal Life Saving WA is aiming to get more of today's youth excited about the future of aquatics. 

In line with this year's Youth Week 2024 theme, ‘Head, Body, Heart’, Royal Life Saving WA has set out to find what young people feel about working in the industry.

One respondent advised “being young helps to teach younger teens. I experience that people warm to me quickly because they can relate.”

Similarly, Chris Osborne and Katie Boland, Pool Managers at the Fitzroy Crossing Swimming Pool in the Shire of Derby, advise “having kids in your workforce really helps engagement. We understand young people being young people ourselves. I can relate to the young girls and Chris is there for the boys. It makes us more approachable.”

Supported by Principal Community Partner BHP, the Talent Pool program adopts the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) methodology is centred around aquatic and recreational facilities as vital assets of social infrastructure within the community.

Partnering with young people and key community stakeholders, Talent Pool aims to activate a state-wide network of community facilities to generate real employment opportunities for young people to become pool lifeguards, swim teachers and pool managers.

Click here for more information on the Talent Pool Academy program.

Image: Chris Osborne and Katie Boland, Pool Managers at the Fitzroy Crossing Swimming Pool. Credit: Royal Life Saving WA.

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