“Young people are an investment, not an expense.”
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That was a key phrase for Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT) board member Griffin Blizzard, 23, as he worked at the Tasmanian Youth Conference on Wednesday.
Youth unemployment, education and access to services were several of the issues raised during the two-day conference held in Launceston.
Mr Blizzard said it was time young voices were heard.
Ideas shared at the conference would be complied into a report to be given to the state government, he said.
“It’s critical we do invest in young people because we are the future and we are going to shape policies.
“They need to be sure they can find a job once they leave school, they need be sure there are those opportunities for apprenticeships and trainee-ships.”
The theme for the conference was Powering up for the Future, which encouraged young people to share ideas and issues that face youth across the state, Mr Blizzard said.
He advocated for better regional access to services.
“Young people need to be able to walk in somewhere and know that they’re going to get help.”
YNOT volunteer Dakoda Leary, 18, said a lot of students he knew were dropping out as they started college because of stress.
There should be less pressure to go to university and more alternative pathways to careers presented, Mr Leary said.
“As a young person, a lot of the time you do want to live your life exactly the way you want it without anyone interfering with it.”
He wanted to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health because it was deterring people from seeking help.
YNOT chief executive Jo Siejka said there was no ongoing funding, despite it being a popular event.
“We very much hope the government are happy to support the conference going forward,” Ms Siejka said.
If the conference did not go ahead, it would be a blow to youth people who might not have access to similar opportunities, she said.
“There’s no central gathering … but by coming together and sharing ideas, they can actually learn from each other.”
Parliamentary secretary to the Premier Sarah Courtney said the biennial conference received $40,000 from the state government to run the 2015 and 2017 events.
Ms Courtney said that it was “heavily supported” by the state government, which “understands the importance of young people in Tasmania having a voice and having that voice heard.
YNOT’s report into youth unemployment had informed the decision to invest further in improving youth employment opportunities by providing a $25 million state budget package to encourage businesses to employ young people, she said.