Children as young as 13 could be put to work to help fill labour shortages as Australia’s peak retail body calls for national minimum working age requirements.
Ahead of the federal government’s jobs and skills summit, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has released a submission calling for businesses to be able to tap into willing school-age workers.
The inconsistency in minimum age regulations across the country should be addressed on a national basis, ARA chief Paul Zahra said.
“An ideal model would be one where we allow 13- to 15-year-olds to work, with sensible regulations in place around not working during school hours or at times that would impact a young person’s education,” he said….