We’re looking for applications from everyone between 12 and 25. You must have turned 12 by 30 March 2022 to apply.

The Australian Government is looking for a diverse group of young people to join the Youth Steering Committee and will ensure gender equality and a representative group of members. We encourage applications from people with disability, carers, refugees and migrants, those from rural, regional and remote areas, people with experience of homelessness and out-of-home care, people from low-income backgrounds, LGBTIQA+ people and First Nations people.

Any committee members over 18 will be required to obtain a working with children check. The team at Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and the Australian Government Department of Education will support you to obtain a working with children check if you join the committee.

You can apply to join the committee using the online form. You will be required to provide personal information, including your date of birth, gender, pronouns, postcode and information about your experiences.

You will also be asked to answer four open-ended questions. Your responses to each question should be no longer than 250 words.

1. What do you think are the two most important issues for young people in Australia and why do you think these issues are important? You can include any relevant personal experience related to these issues.

2. Why would you like to join the Youth Steering Committee? You can include any personal experience and what you would like to achieve by joining the Youth Steering Committee.

3. What personal experiences and skills would you bring to the Youth Steering Committee?

4. Do you have experience volunteering or participating in advisory groups? If yes, tell us about your experiences.

We can also support you to complete the form and accept applications in a different format to ensure the application is accessible to you. You can contact info@ayac.org.au if you need support to apply.

The first meeting of the committee will take place over five days from Sunday 20 November 2022 to Thursday 24 November in Canberra. Travel, accommodation and meals will be paid by Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and the Australian Government Department of Education. You must be available during this time to join the committee.

The committee will meet regularly online after the first meeting. We may also meet in person and will find a time and place that works for everyone. We’ll work with the committee members at the first meeting to determine how often and when the committee should meet.

The first meeting of the committee will be in Canberra. Travel, accommodation and meals will be paid by Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and the Australian Government Department of Education. The majority of other committee meetings will take place online.

The committee members will be paid an honorarium to recognise their contributions. The amount for the honorarium will be confirmed at the first meeting of the committee.

Every application will be reviewed by a panel which includes team members from Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and the Australian Government Department of Education. Applications will be de-identified before being reviewed. We’ll share the outcome of the application process before November 2022.

We're committed to ensuring the committee is accessible for everyone. We can support you to complete the form and accept applications in a different format to ensure the application is accessible to you. You can contact info@ayac.org.au if you need support to apply.

We will also ensure the committee meetings are accessible and inclusive. We will meet your accessibility and inclusion needs and will work with you to ensure you are supported if you join the committee.

You can contact Reece Moir (he/him) from the AYAC team if you have any questions by email at reece@ayac.org.au.