YOUTH PARTICIPATION

Ms CICCARELLO (Norwood) (15:04): My question is to the Minister for Youth. What support is the government providing to assist young people to engage more actively with their communities?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Youth, Minister for Gambling) (15:04): I thank the member for Norwood for her question. I am very pleased to inform members about the 2008 Youth Engagement Grants. This is an initiative of the Office for Youth. The youth engagement grants are the largest grants available to organisations working with and for young people aged between 12 and 25 years. These grants provide opportunities for young people to improve their self-confidence, develop new skills and to become more actively involved in their communities. These grants are for $60,000, with $20,000 being provided for each over three years. The grant recipients represent a diverse range of organisations, which can include community youth agencies and organisations, local councils, schools and government agencies.

The Office for Youth has recently completed the funding round assessment and this year again proved to be a very competitive process, given the many outstanding applications that were lodged. The projects being undertaken by this year's grant recipients are particularly noteworthy for their focus on education and cultural diversity, and I inform members by mentioning a few of the projects to highlight this point. The Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council project, Young Nungas Yarning Together Again, will establish a peer education project for Aboriginal youth in The Parks region. The Australian Refugee Association project, Job-Ready Set Go, will help young people from refugee backgrounds prepare themselves for employment. This will be done through a series of job readiness workshops, as well as one on one support.

This type of support is often crucial in helping newly arrived migrants to better connect with their communities, as they set about taking up the tremendous opportunities South Australia offers them in building a new life. The Anglicare Sudanese Youth Advocates project will provide a structured weekly program focusing on living skills, kitchen skills and advocacy skills for young Sudanese people. The Youth Engagements Grants are a significant part of the state government's commitment to supporting the positive engagement of young South Australians through a wide range of activities that assist their personal growth and social development. Projects like this one and the ones that I have mentioned today are about providing access and opportunity and linking young people to their communities. Their outcomes will have a positive social, economic and cultural impact as more South Australians are encouraged to participate in our workforce, to develop new social networks and to contribute to the rich fabric of cultures that exist in our state.

These grants are part of an important investment for both the present and the future. As minister, I have had the privilege of meeting many energetic, ambitious and caring young people from diverse backgrounds and it is true—and I know it is the case for most of us here—that we are never surprised at how much they have to contribute right here and now. I think all members can be assured that, with our collective support, young people will continue to lead efforts to make our state a better place for all South Australians.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!