Employing young people

Employing young people

You can employ a student in the last years of compulsory education where they meet their education requirements.

Options for employment may vary depending on the student’s schooling arrangement.

  • Part-time or casual employment during full time education – You do not need approval if you employ students on a part-time or casual basis. The student must also continue their full-time education or training program.
  • Part-time employment – you can employ a student part-time where they are in an approved training and work program.  Their school, training and part-time workload must add up to full-time.
  • Full-time employment with approval – during the last years of compulsory education you must seek approval to employ a young person full-time. Penalties can apply where approval is not given.
  • Full-time employment – you can employ a young person without approval where they meet one of these requirements:
    • they have achieved the requirement for Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).
    • after the year where they turn 17 years and six months or they turn 18, whichever is first.

A young person who has turned 18 years of age is no longer of compulsory school age and does not require approval.

If the young person is in Year 10 or below, refer to information about exemptions on our alternatives to full-time schooling.

Seek approval

A young person’s parents are responsible for seeking approval from the Department of Education. You will need to provide details about the job and sign the application form for the parents to submit. A participation coordinator will contact you to discuss the job before giving approval.

To find out more about parent’s obligations, refer to alternatives to full-time schooling.

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) is a government education body that by law must keep track of all young people during their compulsory education period. SCSA will send you information regarding your responsibilities when you employ a young person who is in their last two years of compulsory education.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to advise SCSA if a young person is no longer working for you.

Get help from a Participation Coordinator

A participation coordinator can assist an employer with: 

  • on-going issues with a young employee
  • employment of a young person in their last two years of compulsory education (Years 11 and 12)
  • completion of relevant paperwork, including Notices of Arrangements
  • fulfilling your obligations to SCSA.

Call a participation coordinator on 1800 245 485.