Ever wondered why youth continue to leave your organisation?

Do you feel as though youth of today don’t listen to your recruiting methods or organisational objectives?

Are your members creating an environment that supports youth in your organisation?

ONE ANSWER – AYEM.

Founded in 2014, Australian Youth in Emergency Management (AYEM) is a non-for profit organisation run by 13 like-minded youths that span 5 States, 1 Territory and 11 different emergency management (EM) volunteering organisations.

Australia has an ageing population and youth need to become more involved in EM volunteering to assist in the future of the industry.

With the dwindling numbers of youth actively involved in EM volunteering, our group is here to change the trend. We are all in the same position, yet we have come from a number of diverse backgrounds.

With you, we will share our experiences, our understanding, our insights and most of all our drive, to allow you the opportunity to work within your organisation to bring back the youth. Our presentation will address a number of key issues affecting youth in EM volunteering (gathered through direct feedback from youth across the country), potential solutions to resolve these issues and how AYEM can work with organisation being affected.

AYEM is establishing itself as a consultative body that works with the youth of today to educate and empower them to join their EM volunteering organisation. Additionally, we work with EM organisations to assist with matters involving youth, including; youth recruitment and retention strategies, youth pathways, youth empowerment, youth leadership and cultural change. In March 2015 AYEM had representatives travel to the World Disaster Risk Reduction Conference in Sendai, Japan to work with the group Youth Beyond Disasters and deliver solutions to youth participation in EM volunteering.