The John Curtin Research Centre is proud to announce the launch of the ‘John Curtin Young Leaders Academy’, an annual political leadership learning and development program for young Australians who align themselves with Labor’s values. Participants of the program are highly motivated individuals, interested in pursuing a career in politics, public service or civil society, passionate about wanting to help create a better and fairer Australia.

This program is targeted at young (aged 35 and under) Australians, especially working and lower-income middle-class Australians living in middle and outer suburbia and the regions, and aims to educate, train, and equip the best and brightest with the tools to win the battle of ideas and become the next generation of effective, successful Labor leaders and activists.

Over the course of one year, participants of the program will be given the chance to broaden their political knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills. Participants will also get to know themselves, and their leadership style and development needs a lot better during dedicated sessions on leadership and personal development. At completion, participants will be referred to as ‘Curtin Scholars’. 

The academy entails:

• a two-day leadership retreat of workshops facilitated by JCRC Chairperson Sam Almaliki and Executive Director Dr Nick Dyrenfurth, with guest presentations on leadership, campaigning and ALP history and culture 
• mentors who will provide counsel and connections to each young leader on their journey within the labour movement 
• a 3-month internship with the JCRC, providing an opportunity to learn and be part of research and policy development and advocacy 
• ongoing access to the JCRC community of political, union and business leaders.

In 2024, the program will be held in Victoria across 18, 19 and 20 October.

Applications for the John Curtin Young Leaders Academy are now open and close on 31 July 2024. Click here to apply.

Quote attributable to Sam Almaliki, Chairperson of the John Curtin Research Centre

“We all know worthy ideas alone don’t change society for the better. You need good people to prosecute great ideas and the principles that underpin them. That’s why in addition to making sure that we have a strong policy research agenda, we are making it our focus to contribute to the development of future labor leaders by establishing the John Curtin Young Leaders Academy. Through this initiative we will identify, inspire and invest in future Labor leaders who represent the breadth and depth of the Australian community.

There is no better way to honour the legacy of Australia’s greatest Prime Minister than to develop future Labor leaders who have the capacity and capability to ensure a better and fairer Australia. The JCRC is keen to ensure our contribution is one of great consequence, just as was John Curtins to the nation and this initiative goes a long way in delivering on this mission.” 

Quote attributable to Nick Dyrenfurth, Executive Director of the John Curtin Research Centre

“From its very inception the John Curtin Research Centre has sought to nurture, mentor and inspire young Laborites and have them front and centre of our research priorities and included in our various publications, fighting alongside us in the battle of ideas. It’s why we have published so many young thinkers in the pages of our flagship magazine, The Tocsin and, from 2018, run our annual Young Writers’ Prize competition and published three anthologies of the best entries as special editions of The Tocsin. We are proud that contributors such as Paul Sakkal and Benjamin Clark have gone on to become leading national journalists, just like John Curtin a century ago when he wrote for the original Tocsin newspaper before going onto national fame as a journalist and later became Australia’s greatest prime minister.

The establishment of our Young Leaders Academy Program continues this tradition and, we hope, will produce new generations of union leaders, progressive journalists, Labor MPs and even a potential future Labor prime minister.”