Policy issues
For Australian youth affairs policy information at the state or federal level, contact:
MCEECDYA (formerly, MCEETYA)
Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs
http://www.mceecdya.edu.au
Membership of the council comprises State, Territory, Australian Government and New Zealand Ministers with responsibility for the portfolios of education, employment, training and youth affairs, with Papua New Guinea and Norfolk Island having observer status. The council's areas of responsibility are pre-primary education, primary and secondary education, vocational education and training, higher education, employment and linkages between employment/labour market programs and education and training, adult and community education, youth policy programs and cross-sectoral matters. The council meets at least once a year and is chaired in rotation for a calendar year by each of the member governments.
Social Policy Research Centre, University of NSW
http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au
Australian Policy Online
http://www.apo.org.au
YMCA Youth Parliament
http://www.nyp.ymca.org.au/
The YMCA runs Youth Parliament programs in every State and Territory (with the exception of the ACT).
International Youth Parliament
http://www.iyp.oxfam.org
Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth and Family Policies
This website based at Columbia Universityin the USA provides cross-national, comparative information about the policies, programs, benefits and services available in the advanced industrialized countries to address child, youth, and family needs. See their website.
International Council on National Youth Policy
The ICNYP is an international nongovernment organisation dedicated to the promotion and development of the national youth policy concepts and processes. See their website for details.
The Youth Policy Action Center
http://www.youthpolicyactioncenter.org/
This is a US website that engages young people (and others) 'in democracy: changing policies that change young people’s lives'. The centre is 'a collaborative effort organised by a growing virtual assembly of advocacy and youth organisations' from across the USA who believe that by working together, youth advocates can achieve what no one organisation could achieve alone.
Books and reports on Australian youth policy:
Youth in Australia: Policy Administration and Politics: A history since World War II
Irving, T., Maunders, D., Sherington G., & Sorby, J. 1995, Macmillan, Melbourne.
This 1995 book describes and analyses the development of youth policy in Australia since the Second World War. The authors examine the period through three different eras in terms of how society constructed youth as a problem: firstly as juvenile delinquency (to 1960); then as a generation gap (to the mid-1970s); and most recently as a wasted resource (1975–1990).
Youth homelessness: Four policy proposals, by Chris Chamberlain and David McKenzie.
v.24, n.2, 2005, pp.32-38.
National Youth Policy in Sweden
v.20 n.2, 2001, pp.46-51.
Adolescents and social policy, by P. Mitchell.
v.19, n.1, 2000, pp.14-15.
Points of view: Offices of Youth Affairs revisited: Coordination in the 1990s, by D. Maunders.
v.15, n.1, 1996, pp.44-46.
Coordination in youth affairs: Why is it less successful than multicultural and women's affairs, by J. Ewen.
v.14, n.3, 1995, pp.28-37.
Viewed with uncertainty: Coordination of youth affairs in Western Australia, by Q. Beresford and S. Robertson.
v.14, n.2, 1995, pp.13-19.
Youth policy in the USA: Community and youth development, by D. Maunders.
v.13, n.2, 1994, pp.21-26.
The Dutch welfare state in transition: The case of youth policy, by P. Kwakkelstein.
v.13, n.1, 1994, pp.12-18.
Is youth policy really new?: A review of government policies affecting young people, by D. Pyvis.
v.11, n.1, 1992, pp.14-18.
Australian youth affairs, by M. Cusack.
v.9, n.2, 1990, pp.48-49.
Does youth policy mean no more youth workers? Analysis and action in youth affairs, by R. White
'Youth Studies and Abstracts: Bulletin of the National Clearinghouse for Youth Studies', 1989 v.8 n.3, pp.26-29.
Youth policies in twentieth century Australia, by G. Sherington and T. Irving
'Youth Studies and Abstracts: Bulletin of the National Clearinghouse for Youth Studies', 1989 v.8 n.3, pp.11-19.
In search of new directions: A comment on youth policies in Victoria's public welfare system, by C. Shevels
'Youth Studies and Abstracts: Bulletin of the National Clearinghouse for Youth Studies', 1989 v.8 n.2, pp.41-44.
Keeping income support on the youth policy agenda, by F. Maas
'Youth Studies and Abstracts: Bulletin of the National Clearinghouse for Youth Studies', 1987 v.6 n.1, pp.2-5.
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Australian Office for Youth
The Government will provide $6.9 million over four years to establish the Australian Office for Youth. The Office will identify core issues impacting on young Australians, engage with Government departments, and analyse how Government initiatives affect young people. It will also provide advice to Government on measures that may be of benefit for young Australians.
The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Australian Youth Forum
The Government will provide $8.0 million over four years to establish a new Australian Youth Forum to bring together youth representatives to discuss important youth issues and improve youth services. The Forum will be the primary communication channel between the Government and the young people of Australia to give young Australians a strong voice in Government.
source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp2/html/expense-09a.htm
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians
... Northern Territory -- youth alcohol diversion
The Government will provide $9.5 million in 2008-09 to support activities which are an alternative to drinking and other substance abuse, such as participation in sport. This measure will enable the establishment and operation of a Northern Territory Regional Youth Development Network, in order to improve the quality, quantity and coordination of diversionary activities. This measure will also enable continuation of the Alice Springs Town Camp Youth Diversion Project and the Central Australia School Holiday Program.
Ongoing funding requirements for the Northern Territory Emergency Response will be reviewed prior to the 2009-10 Budget and will be based on the evaluation. Provision has also been made in the Contingency Reserve for ongoing costs associated with the Emergency Response.
Source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp2/html/expense-26a.htm
Also see:
Northern Territory Emergency Response
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/ministerial_statements/html/indigenous-04.htm
which reads:
Further youth alcohol diversion projects will be funded ($9.5 million in 2008-09) to reduce substance abuse among Aboriginal young people aged 12 to 18. Safe and healthy activities as an alternative to drinking and other substance abuse will provide positive experiences in areas such as the arts, sport and youth leadership. The activities will also promote school attendance and pathways to training and employment.
Closing the Gap -- contribution to Indigenous boarding colleges
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
The Government will provide $28.9 million over four years towards the construction and operation of three new boarding colleges for Indigenous secondary school students in years 8 to 12 in the Northern Territory.
This will assist Indigenous young people from remote communities to obtain a secondary school education. One 40-bed boarding facility will become operational during the 2009 school year, and 72-bed and 40-bed facilities will become operational during the 2010 school year.
An additional contribution of $15.0 million toward the construction costs will be provided by the Indigenous Land Corporation.
Source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp2/html/expense-26a.htm
Special Accounts Register
Young Endeavour Youth Program Operating Fund Account
National Youth Affairs Research Scheme Special Account
Source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp4/html/bp4_sar.htm
A Creative Australia -- support for Young and Emerging Artists -- implementation
The Government will provide $6.6 million over four years to support young and emerging artists and to engage young audiences in the arts. The funding will provide support for: performing arts companies to offset the income that would otherwise be earned from presenting better known or more commercial works; projects that support young and emerging artists in developing professional skills, expertise and professional networking; and projects that engage young artists and audiences, particularly in demonstrating best practice in the areas of youth arts and new technologies.
The cost of this measure ($1.6 million per annum in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and $1.7 million per annum in 2010-11 and 2011-12) will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Australia Council.
source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp2/html/expense-10.htm
Commonwealth payments to support specific state services.
Reads in part:
From 1 July 2009, the Commonwealth will provide a financial contribution to support state health services under the new national healthcare agreement. This new national SPP will incorporate the following existing payments:
From 1 January 2009, the Commonwealth will provide a financial contribution to support state disabilities services under the new national disabilities services agreement. This new national SPP will incorporate the following existing payments:
Source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp3/html/bp3_spp.htm
Health and Hospitals Reform -- National Cancer Plan -- youth cancer networks
The Government will provide $15.0 million over three years to CanTeen to assist in the establishment of youth cancer networks, including wards and services for adolescents and young adults with cancer. The funding will contribute towards facilities for treatment and support, including social and emotional support, for adolescents and young adults with cancer, and will facilitate participation in clinical trials to assess new cancer technologies.
Source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp2/html/expense-16a.htm
Illicit drug use -- targeting young people who use methamphetamines
Department of Health and Ageing
The Government will tailor existing national education programs on illicit drugs (such as the National Illicit Drugs Campaign) to help combat methamphetamine use, particularly amongst young people aged 18-25 years. Information will be disseminated to high risk groups such as through strategic sponsorship of major youth events.
The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resources of the Department of Health and Ageing.
Source:
http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp2/html/expense-16a.htm
Responsible Economic Management -- Career Advice Australia
The Government will redirect residual funding from the Career Advice Australia program to two new programs:
Mentors for Our Students and
Enterprise and Career Education -- School Business Linkages.
The Mentors for Our Students program will pilot a volunteer mentoring program involving recently retired tradespeople and professionals sharing their knowledge and skills with younger Australians. The Enterprise and Career Education -- School Business Linkages program will strengthen partnerships between schools and businesses and develop innovative, high quality, relevant work and training programs for vocational education and training in schools.
This measure will provide savings of $11.4 million over four years to offset the Government's election commitments Mentors for Our Students and Labor's Education Revolution: New Directions for Vocational Education and Training.
The Government will also provide $51.2 million over two years (including $33.9 million in 2008-09 and $17.3 million in 2009-10) to extend the Career Advice Australia program. Career Advice Australia provides access to career information and advice, meaningful work experience and quality information about industry opportunities to help young people make informed decisions about their future. Provision for this funding has already been included in the forward estimates.
See also the related expense measures titled Mentors for Our Students and Enterprise and Career Education -- School Business Linkages in the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio.
Source:
"http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/bp2/html/expense-29.htm
Building the evidence base — closing the evidence gap: a clearinghouse for best practice and successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs
The Government's commitment to evidence-based policy is supported in this Budget with funding of $1.7 million over two years for two initiatives:
* the expansion of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) — to be conducted (for the third time) by the Australian Bureau of Statistics later in 2008 — so that it can obtain more detailed information about the situation of Indigenous children; and
* the establishment of a national clearinghouse on best practice and successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs. The clearinghouse will provide a single point for gathering and disseminating reliable information to underpin policy development in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.
Source: http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/ministerial_statements/html/indigenous-06.htm