The Victorian Youth Congress recently introduced its 2025 group of young leaders and change makers as the congress seeks to continue its advisory work for the community.
Comprised of 20 individuals aged 12-25, the Victorian Youth Congress is an advisory group to the Victorian government as they identify and advocate for issues that matter to young people while delivering youth-led projects to the community.
The VYC for 2025 will be made up of 10 new members and 10 members returning for their second year. The congress prides itself on its diversity to ensure it best reflects the youth of the state, including First Nations people, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, those of multicultural and multi faith communities, and those with disabilities.
The congress’s main role is to work closely with the Victorian Minister for Youth, currently Natalie Suleyman, who met with the group after the announcement and expressed her pride and support for the group. She stated “These young leaders aren’t waiting to be heard – they’re stepping up, speaking out and driving change for their communities.”
The VYC also works to promote and enact key initiatives outlined in the Labor Governments Our Promise, Your Future strategy, a 5 year plan from 2022-2027 that seeks to provide Victorian youth with essential tools and resources to ‘improve their lives and unleash their potential’ (states the foreword of the strategy). The congress was instrumental in developing and advising the strategy and its contents over a 2 year period before its implementation, citing its aim to generate ‘long-lasting and systemic change’.
The Our Promise, Your Future strategy highlights needing a greater focus on accessible mental health, financial stability and developed informative services for young people to best support their wellbeing, safety and chance to succeed post COVID-19.
So far, the Our Promise, Your Future strategy alongside the Victorian Youth Congress has delivered services such as ‘YouthNav’, an online toolkit initiative developed by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing as advised by the VYC. YouthNav provides resources around life aspects such as getting a job and managing money in a ‘fun and engaging way’ with interactive elements that find information best suited to your specific enquiries.
To check out YouthNav, visit https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/youthnav
Sophie Janusko 