Executive Summary
Exemplar Talent Connect welcomes young people aged 16 and 17 who are taking their first step into work. Their safety comes first. This policy sets out how we protect them, what we expect of employers, our own people and our partners, and what happens when anyone raises a concern.
We have zero tolerance of abuse, exploitation or harassment of young people. The policy is aligned with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the NSW Child Safe Standards.
1. Who this policy covers
1.1 In this policy, a young person means a candidate on Exemplar Talent Connect who is under 18. Candidates must be at least 16 to register.
1.2 The policy applies to:
- Exemplar's directors, staff and volunteers;
- contractors who build, support or administer the platform, in Australia or overseas;
- Referral Partners and licensed partners who introduce young people or employers to the platform; and
- every employer registered on the platform, through clause 5A of the Employer Partnership Agreement.
2. Our commitments
2.1 We act in the best interests of young people in every decision about the platform.
2.2 We involve parents and guardians, and we listen to young people and act on what they tell us.
2.3 We collect only the information we need, keep it secure and share it in stages, as set out in our Student and Parent Terms and Privacy Policy.
2.4 We choose and train our people with young people's safety in mind, and review this policy every year.
3. How the platform protects young people
| Protection | How it works |
|---|---|
| Minimum age and parent consent | Candidates must be at least 16. A candidate aged 16 or 17 is not visible to any employer until a parent or guardian has consented. |
| Verified employers only | Every employer's business and Australian Business Number (ABN) is verified before it can see any candidate. |
| Display name, not full name | Employers see a display name (or a candidate number in anonymous mode) — never a young person's full name, school or contact details until a job offer is made. |
| The young person decides | Every introduction request goes to the young person first. They can accept, decline or ask for more information. They can block employers, pause or delete their profile at any time. |
| Communication on the platform only | Employers may communicate with a young person only through the platform, in writing. Exemplar may copy all communications to the parent or guardian, and may review them. |
| Safe interviews | Interviews must be held at the employer's workplace, in a public place or online. A parent or guardian may attend if the young person or parent asks. |
| Parents informed of offers | When an employer makes a job offer to a young person, the parent or guardian is notified and receives the offer and employment terms. |
| No fees to young people | Young people are never charged a platform fee, an introduction fee or a commission on their wages. |
| Identity checks on assessments | Facial images are used only to confirm the young person sat the test, with consent, and are never shared with employers. |
| No marketing without consent | We do not send marketing to a young person without parent or guardian consent. |
4. What we expect of employers
4.1 Employers must follow clause 5A of the Employer Partnership Agreement, including communicating only through the platform, holding interviews safely, and informing parents of offers.
4.2 Employers must comply with all laws on employing young people, including work health and safety, minimum and junior rates of pay, limits on hours and duties, and any working with children check that applies to the role or to anyone supervising the young person.
4.3 Employers must never ask a young person for money, bank details, identity documents or images before a written employment contract, and must never pressure a young person to decide immediately.
4.4 Employers must report any concern about a young person's safety to Exemplar immediately.
5. What we expect of our own people
5.1 Only Exemplar staff who hold a current NSW Working with Children Check may communicate directly with young people or their parents about introductions and offers, or present to students in schools. Contractors and partners who do not hold a check do not contact young people directly.
5.2 All contact with young people is professional, in writing through Exemplar's official email or the platform, and copied to the introductions record. Our people never contact a young person through personal email, social media or private messaging, and never meet a young person alone.
5.3 Everyone who handles young people's information completes child safety and privacy training when they start and every year after that.
5.4 Any breach of this policy by our own people is treated as serious misconduct.
6. Recognising concerns
Signs that something may be wrong include an employer or anyone else who:
- contacts a young person outside the platform before a job offer, or asks them to keep contact secret;
- asks to meet privately, at a home, or outside normal business settings;
- asks for images, money, bank details or identity documents;
- sends messages that are personal, flattering, sexual or threatening; or
- pressures a young person to decide immediately or offers a job without an interview.
7. How to raise a concern
| If… | Do this |
|---|---|
| A young person is in immediate danger | Call 000 (Police, Fire, Ambulance). |
| You have any other concern about a young person on the platform | Email enquiry@exemplarpa.com.au with the subject line "Child Safety", or phone +61 2 9666 8766. Anyone may report — a young person, parent, teacher, employer, or member of the public. You do not need proof. |
| You think a child or young person in NSW is at risk of significant harm | You can also call the NSW Child Protection Helpline on 132 111. |
| The concern involves harmful online content or online abuse | You can also report it to the eSafety Commissioner at esafety.gov.au. |
| A young person needs someone to talk to | Kids Helpline is free and confidential, 24 hours a day, on 1800 55 1800. |
8. How Exemplar responds
8.1 We acknowledge every child safety report within one business day, and begin looking into it within 24 hours.
8.2 Where a report concerns an employer, we may suspend that employer's access immediately while we look into it.
8.3 We keep the young person safe first: we contact them and, where appropriate, their parent or guardian, and we stop any further contact from the employer concerned.
8.4 Where we believe a young person may be at risk of significant harm, or a crime may have been committed, we report it to the NSW Child Protection Helpline or the police.
8.5 We keep a confidential written record of every report, the action taken and the outcome.
8.6 Employers who breach this policy or clause 5A of the Employer Partnership Agreement are removed from the platform.
9. Roles
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Child Safety Officer — Sylvana Livissianis, Chief Executive Officer | Receives and manages reports; keeps records; arranges training; first point of contact for concerns. |
| Accountable director — Con Livissianis, Managing Director | Approves this policy; decides on employer removals and reports to authorities; ensures resources for child safety. |
| Everyone covered by this policy | Follows it, and reports any concern straight away. |
10. Review
10.1 We review this policy at least once a year, after any serious incident, and when the law changes — including when the Children's Online Privacy Code under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) takes effect.
11. Related laws and standards
This policy is guided by the following. Current versions are available from the websites shown.
| Law or standard | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (10 principles) | National Office for Child Safety — childsafety.pmc.gov.au |
| NSW Child Safe Standards (10 standards), Children's Guardian Act 2019 (NSW) | Office of the Children's Guardian — ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| NSW Working with Children Check, Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW) | Office of the Children's Guardian — ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Children's Online Privacy Code (when registered) | Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — oaic.gov.au |
| Online safety and reporting online harm | eSafety Commissioner — esafety.gov.au |
The NSW Child Safe Standards are mandatory for certain child-related organisations, such as schools and child care services. Whether or not they apply to Exemplar by law, we adopt them, and the Working with Children Check for staff who deal with young people, because they are the recognised standard for keeping young people safe.
Approved by: Con Livissianis, Managing Director · Next review: October 2027
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