Supporting our young people to thrive – Budget 2022

We’re responding to increased demand from young people for quality youth development services.

Government is investing $15 million over four years to increase equitable access to quality youth development services for at least 7,160 young people annually and offer more certainty and stability for youth development providers.

This initiative will ensure young people, including those from marginalised communities, such as rangatahi Māori, Pacific, rainbow and disabled young people, have equitable access to quality youth development services.

• Demand for quality youth development services has significantly increased over the last few years. This increased demand reflects the fact that the needs of young people have become more urgent and complex, requiring more contact time with skilled youth workers.
• The funding will support increased access to youth development services for up to an additional 6,800 young people, support a pilot initiative supporting full-time equivalent youth workers to deliver increased contact time with at least 360 young people per year to address more complex and urgent needs, and build a cycle of youth development evidence, including research and evaluation on what works for cohorts of young people.
• The Ministry of Youth Development (MYD) – Te Manatū Whakahiato Taiohi will also fund a cycle of youth development evidence, including research and evaluation on what works for cohorts of young people, such as those from marginalised communities, such as rangatahi Māori, and Pacific, rainbow, and disabled young people.

Engaging young people in quality youth development services contributes directly to developing their personal resilience, and protective factors, including improving mental and physical health and economic wellbeing and acquiring the skills needed to succeed in life and enable them to contribute productively to Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy.

• The funding, along with a targeted approach, will contribute to supporting young people with low levels of self-efficacy and/or limited positive social connections, and in need of relational-based and culturally appropriate medium-care services, to increase their self-confidence, develop work-ready skills and strengthen positive social connections.
• To support greater stability and certainty for providers, in alignment with the Social Sector Commissioning principles, MYD is proposing to progress to longer-term contracts, and ensure youth development services are informed and shaped by the aspirations and lived experience of young people.
• MYD is intending to launch a contestable funding round in June 2022, inviting applications from youth development providers from across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Costs (operating)