Resilient and resourceful young people - an Australian National Youth Strategy?

Image: Andrew Jeffrey

19 October 2009There is increasing global awareness of the need to improve life chances for all young people. Life chances relate to having autonomy, engaging in positive social and community networks, accessing education and employment opportunities, being economically stable, experiencing health and well-being and living in a safe environment.

Over the last ten years the UK government’s social inclusion agenda, informed by well-being and positive psychology research, has brought about a more proactive approach to addressing the needs of young people. The emphasis has shifted from simply fixing what is seen to be wrong with them, to promoting their strengths and potential contribution to society.  In 2007, the UK government launched a national initiative entitled “Aiming High for Young People: A Ten Year Strategy for Positive Activities” which has seen an investment of over £800m in youth work programs. These have been designed to include targeting some of the most ‘hard to reach’ young people. They aim to build resilience and develop the emotional and social resources required for successful physical and psychological development during the challenging transition to adulthood.

Now it looks like Australia may be heading in a similar direction. On September 11th 2009, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd annonced that the Australian Government is currently "developing a plan for young Australians - with young Australians - so that all young people are safe, healthy, confident and resilient with the skills and supprt they need to build their own futures". This first step in the creation of a National Youth Strategy follows the establishment in 2008 of a youth portfolio at ministerial level within the federal government and the establishment of both the Office for Youth and the Australia Youth Forum. Together these are indications that there is a real commitment to bringing youth policy to the heart of the Australian Government. Investing in young people’s futures is finally being promoted as of national interest.

So what actually helps to make young people more resilient and resourceful?

Read the full article

Related Topics

Social Policy

Education

Health

Related content

Most viewed: This week

1
Web and Information Coordinator - Australian Policy Online (Position number: 29499)
2
Can nations measure well-being?
3
Six provocations for big data
4
What do pop-up shops and homelessness have in common?
5
Evidence-free policy making? The case of income management

Noticeboard

Australian Community Sector Survey
03 May 2012

Strengthen our voice - take part in the Australian Community Sector Survey

There's just under two weeks to go for Victoria's community sector organisations to help us provide an authentic snapshot of the state of demand for services in the state.

Women's Health Victoria survey now open
08 March 2012

Women's Health Victoria (WHV) is a statewide women's health promotion, information and advocacy organisation, working with policy makers and health professionals to influence and inform health policy and service delivery.

The online survey is open to anyone who has used WHV's services, resources, or websites in the past 12 months. It covers: WHV publications, professional training, The Index database of gendered statistics, WHV Clearinghouse, BreaCan Service (supporting people diagnosed with breast or gynaecological cancer), capacity building, member services, and more.

Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (the ACNC) starting in July 2012
07 March 2012

In May 2011 the Federal Government announced that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) would commence operations from 1 July 2012 and that it would initially be responsible for determining the legal status of groups seeking charitable, public benevolent institution, and other not-for-profit (NFP) benefits on behalf of all Commonwealth agencies. 

Topics

APO