The Board

Oscar Ramos – Chairperson

Bachelor of Youth Work

Oscar is the current Children, Families and Youth Community Development Coordinator at Bayside City Council. He has been in the Youth and Community Services field for 20 years. Oscar holds a Bachelor of Youth Studies; Bachelor of Psychological Science, and is undertaking his Honours in Psychology. Oscar currently sits as a board director across three non for profit organisations, focused on raising the profile and enhancing the delivery of youth work, education, employment and social services.

“It is my vocation to work with young people and the community. I believe in a holistic approach and that we are constantly learning from each other in a fast-paced moving world. As such, it is necessary we have professional bodies such as YWA and YACVic to advocate for young people and professionals working with young people.”

Emeritus Professor Robyn Broadbent

Institute for Industry and Sustainable Cities Victoria University

EdD (RMIT) MA (RMIT), GDipEd (VicMelb), BSocSc (Footscray Institute of Technology), BA – Youth Studies (RMIT)

Robyn Broadbent is an academic, community researcher, community activist and a committed advocate for the human rights of young people. She wrote the Youth Work programs at Victoria University and has taught and managed the program for twenty-five years. Robyn has also been active in the establishment of the Youth Workers Association and continues to sit on the Board.

Robyn has worked in local, state, national and international youth affairs. She currently chairs the Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Worker Associations. Robyn has worked with Trades Hall Council, was instrumental in establishing the Visy Cares Hub, provides advice and mentoring to youth workers in a range of settings and is well known for her collection of youth consultancy work.

Robyn is proud that her professional grounding was as a youth worker in the western suburbs of Melbourne and continues to be committed to the region to ensure that all young people have access to the full benefits of a wealthy society.

Dr Tim Corney - Vice Chairperson

PhD (UniMelb), MA (RMIT), B Youth Studies (VU), BA (Deakin) Professor, College of Education

Tim has extensive experience in industry, academia and the youth and community sector. He has worked as a practitioner, senior manager, researcher, academic and as a consultant and adviser on social policy and youth affairs to community agencies, government and peak bodies across Australia and Internationally.

His work with young people and the youth and community sectors is widely recognised. He is currently advising the Commonwealth of Nations Secretariat on international youth development issues.

Tim has taught at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in sociology, social policy, ethics and youth studies. His teaching, supervision and research interests include human rights, youth policy, youth studies, youth transitions, education, vocational and apprenticeship training, young workers and professional youth and community work practice.

Helen Doig - Treasurer

Bachelor of Youth Work, Masters of Education, Experiential Learning and Development

I have always been deeply passionate about youth work, education, social justice, and equity for all. I have genuinely loved all the positions I have held in the youth work sector. I have held positions of outreach worker, case manager, educator, service manager, education officer. I have been employed by Not for profits, LGA’s, and state government organizations.

The sectors include AOD, Homeless Services, Developing and implementing an educational program for high risk adolescents, Community integration, and Corrections. I have taught in the TAFE sector in Cert IV and Diploma in Community Services Youth work both in the Western Metro and Regional areas. I have had the privilege of being part of executive committees for 35 years in Sport and Recreation for young people, netball clubs and netball associations, Adult Council for Further Education and Community Health. I look forward to serving the Board and youth workers.

Dr Cameron (Jamie) Hogan

LLD, PhD, MA, DipYL, DipYW, DipTAA, DipQA, DipCoun, DipFLM, DipAOD, LUAConLaw. CertTAE

FAHIPV (Life), FVCLP, AFAIM, AGIA, AICDA, MANZSC, MANZMHA

Dr Hogan, commonly known as Jamie, has been involved in the community services and education sectors for over thirty-eight years. He is a Youth Worker by profession and is a clinical counsellor, strategic and social planner, criminologist, quality auditor, trainer and assessor, and a registered lobbyist with the Victorian State Government.

He has been Chief Executive and Academic Director of several highly-regarded educational institutions, including serving on a number of Vocational and Higher Education boards and committees. He has been Chief Executive Officer of a large Community Services organization and has worked with street gangs and homeless young people, including teenage sex workers and drug addicts, and in Local Government, Residential Care, Juvenile Justice and Youth Services programs

In addition, he was an elected Councilor for the City of Frankston in 1987 as a young person being the youngest person ever elected to the Council at that time, serving as Chair of various Council’s statutory committees, including the Youth Services Development Group.

He has been a Political Advisor, Campaign Director, ran two successful academic and community advisory consultancies and has taught Alcohol and Other Drugs, Youth Work, Counselling, Mental Health Community Sector Management and Front Line Management.

He actively runs a lobbyist business where he is a legal advocate and project director, in addition to an NDIS program.

Dr Hogan has been awarded on several occasions, including being Citizen of the Year in the Australia Day awards for his services to community services and juvenile justice

Based in Gippsland, Victoria, he is a successful activist and lobbyist with extensive National, State, and Regional contacts in community, business and political spheres, where has represented various political candidates, community organizations and businesses in various successful campaigns.

Paul Chalkley

Bachelor of Youth Work, Master of Philosophy

After initially working as a retail manager for several years, Paul graduated from the Australian Catholic University (ACU) Youth Work degree in 2000 and has worked extensively in the youth sector ever since. Paul's main area of interest is in working with disadvantaged young people and he has held senior roles in alternative education and camp management. Paul has worked as a Youth Work academic at ACU since 2010 and is involved in the lecturing of youth work subjects and the coordination of all youth work field placement experiences. In addition to his work at ACU, Paul works casually as a youth worker in the residential care system.

Paul completed his Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) thesis in 2013. This thesis examined the nature of contemporary childhood and the relationship between it and risk. Paul successfully completed his Master of Philosophy thesis in 2018. This thesis examined the experiences of care for those young people living in the out-of-home care system, specifically those living in residential care in Victoria.

Dave Fregon

Bachelor of Youth Work, Diploma of Counselling, Diploma of Community Services

Dave is currently providing Information Technology services to business and not-for-profit customers. His extensive experience in information technology and passion for social justice and supporting young people provide a foundation for his focus on digital youth work. He has worked in IT for the Education Department, as Youth Development Officer and Community Development Officer in two Tasmanian councils, as a volunteer on the phones at Lifeline, and started free food kitchens, among a plethora of other projects. Dave completed his Bachelor of Youth Work at Victoria University