$2 million for young people to succeed

28 April 2022

Young people across NSW will boost their skillsets for future employment and education thanks to $2 million as part of the NSW Government’s Youth Opportunities Program.

The Youth Opportunities Program provides one-off grants between $10,000 and $50,000 for young people to lead and implement projects in their local communities that will help prepare them for their future.

Minister for Families and Communities Natasha Maclaren-Jones said the Youth Opportunities grants will not only give young people skill-building opportunities, but will also engage young people with their local community.

“Youth Opportunities focuses on delivering high-quality, youth-led projects which will help young people develop the talents and tools they need to achieve their career and educational goals,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.

“From initiatives to assist young people to get their first job to workshops that will build vital life skills such as cooking and car maintenance, there will be incredible opportunities state-wide for young people.”

Minister for Regional Youth Ben Franklin said the program helps provide a pathway for young people, particularly in regional areas, to find their place in their community and live independently.

“The transition from school to work is often challenging, and initiatives like the Youth Opportunities Program are imperative in helping make that transition as easy as possible for young people,” Mr Franklin said.

“This funding helps facilitate a sustained transition into employment and provides young people with a personal development pathway to upskill them into qualified, work-ready professionals.”

Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly has celebrated RuffTRACK’s success in the grant program.

“This is a wonderful initiative for our young people who are a part of RuffTRACK to have a place to grow their talents and connect with the local community,” Mr Conolly said.

RuffTRACK Limited received more than $42,500 under the program to run Ruff-TRUCK, a mobile coffee van and market stall which aims to provide young people valuable skills to gain employment business knowledge.

Tiarna, 18, said that she is excited to be part of the project and is looking forward to increased engagement with the local community.

“Ruff-TRUCK will help us better manage some of the challenges in life and difficulties we may face job searching.

“I’m looking forward to building my skills in coffee-making and serving food and coffee across NSW.”

Youth Opportunities is celebrating its ten-year anniversary this year, providing $15.3 million to 329 projects across NSW since it commenced.