Youth Council

The Youth Council program is open to young people aged 14 - 23, who live, work, study, or play in the Central Goldfields region. This means you don't have to live in Central Goldfields to apply, but you must be involved in the local community.

Young people aged over 18 are required to hold a valid Working with Children Check (volunteer level) and Police Check to serve on the Youth Council (at no cost, and useful to have). Support staff can help you apply for these checks if needed.

The Central Goldfields Youth Council program has three main goals:

• To provide opportunities and support for young people to develop the skills and confidence to become leaders in their communities.
• To be a voice for young people in the Central Goldfields community, speaking up to make sure their needs and passions are represented in community decisions.

The members of the Youth Council in 2022/23 were from different backgrounds, communities, and experiences.

Since its beginning in July 2022 our Youth Council worked hard to create change for local young people.

The Youth Council program is funded by the Victorian Government, through the Engage! program.

Every Youth Council is different, and activities change depending on the issues they want to prioritise and he skills they want to develop. Some examples of what the 2022-23 Youth Council did include:

• Participated in climate action initiatives
• Hosted a youth concert and ‘Clean Up Central Goldfields’ event
• Participated in the opening of the Art Gallery and Skate and Scooter Park
• Designed, launched, and ran a community survey about experiences of and needs for public transport in Central Goldfields
• Participated in the second Triggering Leadership Innovation Transformation workshop
• Met with State Government MPs and departments, the Governor of Victoria, and Councillors to advocate for local young people
• Toured Government House in Melbourne
• Participated in a range of professional development training classes including public speaking, how to set and achieve goals, and creating change in the community.

The first step is to fill out an application when they open in the new year (2024). Once applications then close, they are shortlisted and checked to make sure they meet eligibility requirements.

Shortlisted applicants are then invited to a short interview with representatives from Council and the community. This interview is a chance to hear more about why you want to be involved, what you're passionate about, and how you might aim to work together with others.

Yes - because there is a limit of 14 places in the program, applications are competitive. Youth Council is more about young people's passion, ideas, and desire to speak up for other young people in the community than about experience. If you care about making Central Goldfields a better place for young people, we want you to apply, even if you've never done something like this before!

The 2024 Youth Council program will run from February to December. Youth Councillors are expected to attend, at minimum:

• Induction training at the beginning of the program
• A two-hour meeting every two weeks, after school hours

All other additional time commitments, opportunities, or activities that occur during the program are voluntary.

While there is a minimum commitment to be involved in Youth Council, we recognize that young people have other commitments in their lives and work with Youth Councillors to ensure their participation does not overburden or disadvantage them.

The first Youth Council served for 18 months from July 2022 – December 2023, and involved 15 young people from communities across the region

The next Youth Council will serve from February – December 2024. Applications are now open, until 5pm Thursday 15^th February.

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Click here to find out more and to apply.