This week we observe Victorian Youth Week to recognise and celebrate the contribution that young Victorians make to our community.
Youth Week also gives young people a chance to express their ideas and views, and act on issues that affect their lives.
As Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs my role is to better understand the issues that are affecting young Victorians in their day-to-day lives and to advocate for them across government.
As much as it is a time to celebrate young people, Youth Week is also a time to place the spotlight on the significant challenges they are facing.
Sadly, young people are being overrepresented in a range of social concerns from mental health to crime, where the biggest cohort for offending is between the 19 to 24 age bracket.
Mental health is a desperately important issue for young people and that is why I am pleased to see action being taken locally by the Federal Government with $4.5 million funding to establish an integrated Youth Health Hub, including a headspace service, in Lilydale.
Youth unemployment is an issue of serious concern for the community because people aged to 24 years are particularly vulnerable, since this age group represents a transition from education to work, with generally higher unemployment rates than others.
The instances of youth unemployment in our regional cities are well understood and there are a range of agencies working towards finding opportunities for young people in those communities.
However, in places like the Yarra Valley and the Upper Yarra, youth unemployment is often going unnoticed.
According to the 2016 Census the youth unemployment rate across the Yarra Ranges Shire was steady at 11.6 per cent – lower than both the national and state-wide averages.
However, digging deeper into the statistics shows pockets of disadvantage in some communities where youth unemployment rates were as high as 43 per cent.
More needs to be done to support young people in securing their long-term future.
It is a complex challenge that involves improving education and training, but also attracting investment that creates entrepreneurship and employment.
Government must ensure the Yarra Valley has the infrastructure and services that can support jobs now and into the future.
That is why I have been and will continue to be a strong advocate for projects like the Warburton Community Recreation Precinct and the Warburton Mountain Bike Hub, as well as for better maintenance and management of our parks and forests that attract thousands of tourists to the region.
