Youth Steering Committee

The Australian Government's Youth Steering Committee works with the Office for Youth on engaging young people.

About

Members come from every state and territory. The Youth Steering Committee is working with the Minister for Youth, the Hon Dr Anne Aly MP to design and implement the Youth Engagement Model.

The Committee also provides advice on government policies and programs that impact young people.

In November 2022, the first Youth Steering Committee was established, made up of 14 young people from across the country ranging in age from 13 to 24 years.

New members 

The Minister for Youth has appointed 7 new members of the Youth Steering Committee for a 2 year term: 

  • Ruben from Western Australia
  • Donella from the Northern Territory
  • Armani from the Northern Territory
  • Jet from Tasmania
  • Rachel from Victoria
  • Caleb from New South Wales
  • Charlotte from the Australian Capital Territory.

They join 8 committee members who are staying on for a further 12 months.

Ongoing members are:

  • Brodie from Western Australia
  • Isabella from South Australia
  • Billie from South Australia
  • Isabel from Tasmania
  • Taihan from Victoria
  • Nayonika from New South Wales
  • Emily from Queensland
  • Sebastian from Queensland.
     

Activities

November 2022

  • Youth Steering Committee met for the first time in Canberra with Minister Aly.

December 2022

  • Youth Steering Committee met with the Office for Women on the development of the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality.
  • Youth Steering Committee held a virtual meeting to discuss its work in 2023.

January 2023

March 2023

  • Queensland based committee members attended the Brisbane Youth Legacy Forum to inform the Brisbane 2032 Legacy Plan.
  • South Australian based committee members attended the opening of SA Youth Week.
  • Youth Steering Committee met in Canberra alongside Youth Advisory Groups and met with Minister Aly regarding the youth engagement strategy.
  • Joint Ministerial media release: Albanese Government empowering young Australians

May 2023

  • Members met in Canberra for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit for First Nations women.

June 2023

  • Perth-based members attended the launch of the youth engagement strategy paper and national consultations.
  • Members participated in a virtual focus group on vaping and smoking with the Minister for Health.
  • Ministerial media release: A fresh approach to engaging young people

July 2023

  • Canberra-based members participated in a consultation with Minister Aly and ACT Minister for Education and Youth Affairs Yvette Berry MLA.
  • Members from advisory groups and the Youth Steering Committee attended a webinar to discuss the Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System with members from the expert panel.
  • Members from advisory groups and the Youth Steering Committee attended the third National Child and Youth Homelessness Conference in Melbourne. This year, the conference expanded its focus to include children and young people aged 0–24. 
  • Youth Steering Committee held a virtual meeting to discuss the youth engagement strategies and provide an update to Minister Aly.

August 2023

  • Tasmania-based members attended the youth consultations and sector roundtables held in Launceston and Hobart.

September 2023

  • Members attended a Universities Accord virtual student roundtable.
  • Victoria-based members hosted a national youth consultation at Melbourne High School.
  • Victoria-based members attended a national youth consultation at the Dock in Docklands.
  • Tasmania-based members attended an Office for Youth stall for University of Tasmania’s open day.
  • New South Wales-based members attended the youth consultation and sector roundtable held in Sydney.
  • Queensland-based members attended the national youth consultation and sector roundtable held in Sydney.
  • Western Australia-based members attended the national youth consultation and sector roundtable held in Perth.
  • Members attended a drop-in session to discuss the current data collected from surveys and consultations.

October 2023

  • Youth Steering Committee held a virtual meeting to reflect on the first phase, plan for the second phase and co-design the consultation activities.
  • Members attended a workshop with Treasury on the Digital ID.
  • Members attended an online focus group co-hosted with Children and Young People with Disability Australia.
  • NSW-based member attended a focus group co-hosted with Fairfield City Council in Fairfield.
  • Victoria-based members attended a focus group co-hosted with Western Bulldogs Community Foundation in Footscray.
  • Members attended an online focus group co-hosted with Curtin Student Guild. 
  • Members attended an online drop-in session to hear updates on the youth engagement strategy and provide input.

November 2023

  • Members attended two drop-in sessions to hear updates on the youth engagement strategy and started drafting their message.
  • Members attended the Shaping the Future: A New Approach to Policy That Works for Young People roundtable hosted by Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice in Canberra.

December 2023

  • Members attended two drop-in sessions to hear updates on the youth engagement strategy and started drafting their message.
  • Youth Steering Committee held a virtual meeting to discuss all consultations, what's on for 2024, and discuss the look-and-feel of the youth engagement strategy.

February 2024

  • Youth Steering Committee held a virtual meeting to discuss finalisation of the youth engagement strategy

March 2024

  • Youth Steering Committee held an in-person meeting in Canberra where they met with the Minister for Youth, the Office for Youth, the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and other Australian Government agencies to discuss and provide feedback on issues of importance to young people.
  • Youth Steering Committee members attended the National Youth Forum in Canberra and launched Engage! A strategy to include young people in the decisions we make with the Minister for Youth.

May 2024

  • Youth Steering Committee held a virtual meeting to discuss the implementation of Engage!