Funding boost for critical youth peak body

The Australian Government is proudly supporting engagement with the nation’s young people by providing the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) with $400,000 in funding.

AYAC is a national peak advocacy body for young people that aims to ensure their needs are on the national agenda.

Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth Dr Anne Aly said AYAC plays a valuable role in facilitating conversations between young people and the Australian Government to ensure the diverse views of young people are heard by government.

“Our Government is acutely aware of the challenges facing young people and that is why we are wasting no time in tackling these issues together,” Minister Aly said.

“There are more than 3 million young Australians aged between 15 and 24 years, making up 11.9 per cent of our total population, so their voice is important.

“Young people have told us they want to be involved in the decisions that directly affect their lives and futures which is why we have committed to continue engaging with them.

“This funding will enable AYAC to continue its important work and assist the Government to move forward immediately with our youth agenda.”

The Australian Government has committed to establishing a New Youth Engagement Model to provide Australia’s young people with strong and formalised engagement in government and policy making.

“With this funding AYAC will be able to continue its advocacy work, engage directly with young people and conduct deeper research to ensure the voices of young people are embedded in the design and implementation of the new youth engagement model,” Minister Aly said.

Co-Chairperson of AYAC Sarah Ramantanis welcomed the funding boost and the Government’s commitment to addressing the issues facing young Australians.

“We are grateful for the significant support from the Minister for Youth and Australian Government which will ensure there is a national voice and advocate for young people,” Ms Ramantanis said.

“This funding shows a genuine commitment to working with young people and ensuring we have a seat at the table. There will now be opportunities for young people right across the country to work with government and make sure our priorities are heard.”

The funding will support AYAC to host a variety of forums and reference groups to harness the views of young people, conduct research on topics of national importance, such as identifying barriers and challenges affecting young people, and operate the AYAC Fellowship Program which will increase the representation of disadvantaged groups in the media and community.

More information about AYAC’s work can be found at https://www.ayac.org.au/