Advocacy in relation to education and young people has consistently been a priority for the Youth Coalition; although this work greatly increased in 2010 following the ACT and national legislation changes to education attainment, which requires young people to complete Year 10 and remain in education, training or employment until they complete Year 12 or turn 17. The Youth Coalition provides advocacy relating to young people and mental health issues in a range of cross-sectoral forums, submissions, committees and other activities, which is based upon the policy positions and commitments outlined in the Youth Coalition's Policy Platform on Education.

Click here to view the Youth Coalition's Policy Platform on Education.

In addition, the Youth Coalition has been working closely with the ACT Department of Education and Training since the legislation changes were introduced in 2010, including through participation on a number of committees:

• Re-Engaging Youth Leadership Group, which aims to support young people who are disengaging, or at risk of disengaging, from education. This work will include supporting regional forums in 2011;
• ACT Youth Commitment Steering Group (click here for more information); and,
• Pathways Plan Action Group, which is working on the continued development of the Pathways Plan, a living document that aims to assist young people to engage in education.

For more information on the Youth Coalition's advocacy and representation on education issues, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .