| The Foundation for Young Australians | |
| Formation: | 1977 |
| Type: | NGO |
| Purpose: | Backing young people with the trust, resources, skills and connections to make change. |
| Headquarters: | Melbourne |
| Region Served: | Australia |
| Leader Title: | Chief Executive Officer (Acting) |
| Leader Name: | Molly Whelan |
| Main Organ: | Board of Directors |
| Num Staff: | 40 |
| Website: | fya.org.au |
The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) is an Australian non-profit organisation whose purpose is to back young people with the trust, resources, skills, and connections to make change. The organisation's vision is that young people have the power to beat injustice and transform the future.
The FYA has a history of partnering with individuals, organisations and schools. It was formed in 2000 through a partnership between The Queen's Trust (1977–2000) and the Australian Youth Foundation (1987–2000).
In July 2008 an alliance was formed between the Education Foundation and the FYA. The Education Foundation was founded in 1989 by Ellen Koshland with the aim of developing and delivering education programs, community engagement and research to Australian students. The partnership was to establish the FYA as the primary advocate for young Australians.[1]
FYA has previously published research on the future of work, and the challenges young people facing in transitioning between education and employment.[2] In 2012, the FYA calculated that 30% of student who left high school in Year 9 or below were NEET.[3]
A 2014 report by the FYA found that people under the age of 24 were likely to be worse off than their parents, with a 30% unemployment rate and more university debt and spending most income on housing.[4]
In 2020, under new CEO, Nick Moraitis, FYA released an updated three-year strategy, positioning the organisation as a strategic intermediary backing young people with trust, resources, skills and connections to make change.[5]