As part of the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, the Office for Youth achieves its vision through a range of youth programs, policy initiatives and grants that enable young people to:
· participate in decision making that will affect their lives, including in the democratic process
· acquire new skills and knowledge which enable them to participate in the workforce and contribute to a dynamic South Australian economy
· develop life skills, self confidence and courage to prepare them for productive lives
· develop positive and supportive relationships with friends and family and make a valuable contribution to the community and the environment
· engage in artistic, sporting and recreational activities that enhance their physical, spiritual, emotional and social development and wellbeing.
The Office for Youth recognises the importance of advocacy for specific groups of young people, including young people who are unemployed, disabled, homeless, indigenous and recently arrived migrants and refugees. As such we take particular care to ensure that these groups of young people are considered in our work.
To achieve our outcomes we have four goals:
Goal 1.
Ensure all young people have a voice and can make an informed contribution to public debate and participate in decisions that affect them.
Goal 2.
Develop strong partnerships across state and local government, the youth sector, business and the community to support young people’s development through participation in learning, work and in their communities.
Goal 3.
Create and promote leadership opportunities for young people and celebrate their achievements.
Goal 4.
Build a high performing Office for Youth to achieve our goals.