Volunteering SA&NT

Ms CLANCY (Elder) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Human Services. How is the Malinauskas Labor government supporting young volunteers—

Members interjecting:

Ms CLANCY: Guys, it's my birthday. Let's listen to me.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members to my left! The leader will come to order. The member for Morialta! The member for Schubert!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, Deputy Premier!

Ms CLANCY: My question is to the Minister for Human Services. How is the Malinauskas Labor government supporting young volunteers to make a difference for themselves and their communities?

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (14:50): Thank you very much. We will change the tone a little bit, I hope. I will take this opportunity to wish the member for Elder a very happy birthday. I thank the member for the question and commend her interest in the important work of Volunteering SA&NT and the hundreds of thousands of volunteers across South Australia.

Volunteers are all around us, from the SES and the CFS—particularly important at the moment, as we face flood—to people who help our kids read at local schools or those who go into aged-care homes to provide company and a bit of entertainment. Our world is moving faster every day and we seem to have endless demands on our time. This is why volunteers who make time for others are such a critical part of our local communities. With great respect to Treasury officials, there are some things that money can't measure or value. The time and consideration that volunteers give to others is simply priceless.

But volunteering doesn't just happen. It's a culture and a behaviour that is shared with families and communities. Like so many things, it needs support and nurturing to grow. The Malinauskas Labor government recently allocated funding to do exactly that. A grant of $125,000 over two years will help to create a youth volunteer army. This will fund a two-year trial that promotes and recognises the volunteer efforts of young people in South Australian public high schools.

The program will link volunteering to skills that support young people to get jobs, build networks and increase civic participation. The program will focus on changing a young person's trajectory by improving their resilience, confidence and employability. It will create a crucial link between volunteering and education. It will support volunteer organisations by encouraging a culture of volunteering in young people. It will support South Australia working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The project is based on the Student Volunteer Army Service Award programs in both Tasmania and New Zealand. Students log their volunteering hours via an app and can work towards achievement badges that recognise their volunteering in the community. The Student Volunteer Army Service Award app automatically builds a CV of volunteering that can later help with applications for apprenticeships, scholarships and employment.

Youth Volunteer Army Service Award participants work towards Sustainable Development Goals of their choice and reflect on the impact of their volunteering and what effect that is having. This program will support our young people to be well-rounded citizens and have a genuine impact across our community. It is fundamentally about planting the seed of volunteering early so that it grows in future years.

The government is further supporting Volunteers SA&NT with a $25,000 grant to explore the social, cultural and economic contribution of volunteers to the state economy. This is our contribution to a national project under the national volunteering strategy and will ultimately produce the South Australian State of Volunteering report. This report will provide real data on the impact of volunteering across South Australia, which will enable the government and the sector to more effectively plan and inform its future.

We know that volunteers are the lifeblood of our community. I am incredibly proud to support the important work of Volunteering SA&NT. To each and every one of the hundreds of South Australians who give their time, energy and skills for free every year, we thank you.