Case Study - Y Careers + BPA Children’s Services

Employer: BPA Children’s Services  
Locations: 35 centres across Melbourne’s western suburbs  
Trainees: 5 active, 1 pending and recruitment underway for 25 additional trainees 

 
About the Employer 

Since 1998, BPA Children’s Services has served Melbourne’s west with one goal: give every child the best start in life. Every surplus goes back into children, families, and communities. Not shareholders. 

As a child safe organisation, safety and wellbeing come first in every decision and every classroom. They honour Aboriginal Elders and work with families and community partners, so every child feels seen, safe, and ready to thrive. 

BPA chose to partner with Y Careers because the program delivers the level of wraparound support their centres need but don’t have the capacity to provide internally.  

With workforce shortages continuing across the early childhood sector, BPA sees the Earn While You Learn model as a scalable, future-focused solution. The partnership is building a strong, supported pipeline of new educators, helping centres meet demand while giving young people the best possible start to their careers. 
 

For Young People 
The program removes the traditional barriers that often hold young people back from starting a career. By earning an income from day one, trainees can support themselves financially while gaining a nationally recognised qualification. The program offers on-the-job experience in a supportive environment, access to career coaches, and a clear pathway into long-term, meaningful employment. It builds confidence, practical skills, and a sense of independence, helping young people thrive both personally and professionally. 

 
For Employers 
For employers, the program provides a sustainable workforce solution in a sector facing significant shortages. Employers gain access to motivated, job-ready trainees who are supported by structured training and wrap around support from Career Coaches. This reduces onboarding pressures and improves retention. The program also allows organisations to grow their own talent pipeline, shape workers to fit their culture, and build a committed future workforce, while contributing to the development of the next generation of educators and carers. 

Y Careers understands young people and provides a full ecosystem of support to set them up for success. Each trainee is paired with a dedicated Career Coach who offers ongoing guidance, goal setting, and access to micro-credentials that build essential soft skills. Supervisors also receive support, resources, and training to help them confidently guide and support new trainees. 

Young people are carefully prepared and sourced to ensure they’re job-ready and motivated from day one. Employers benefit from streamlined onboarding, clear communication, and a partnership model that strengthens workforce capability. 

“Y Careers treats me like family.” 
 
“It’s great. If I could tell everyone to do it, I would. Y careers have given me a new perspective on learning. Before, I felt like an outcast at UNI and at school because I wouldn’t pick up things as quickly as everybody else. Being able to work and learn at the same time helped me see why we do things.” 

"This pathway is helping me gain experience, build my confidence, and open up more opportunities for my future in childcare.” 

“I have always wanted to work with children, and doing this traineeship has helped me learn so much.” 
 
"With this program, I am gaining real experience while studying, and this is helping me to grow both at work and in my course. I feel confident that what I have learnt at BPA will help me move forward in my career.”

What the Employer partner says: Tim Watts – Chief Executive Officer of BPA Children’s Services 
 
“We really appreciate how Y Carees supports our people and culture team with wraparound support for young people. Our teams are great, but they don’t have that full expertise or the bandwidth, time or energy to spend with the new trainees, given their focus on the centre and children.” 

“With workforce shortages in this sector, we think this model has scalability and legs.” 

 

The partnership is now embedded in BPA Children’s Services’ long-term workforce strategy, with Y Careers operating as an extension of their people and culture team. 

 
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