About the Ministry of Youth Development
The Ministry of Youth Development – Te Manatu Whakahiato Taiohi – promotes the interests of young people aged between 12 and 24 years old. We encourage and assist young people to be involved in the social, educational, economic and cultural development of New Zealand.
Key functions
The Ministry's work involves keeping up to date on key issues affecting young people and promoting the government's Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa.
It has five key functions. These are:
- providing young people with a central point of contact within government so they can express their views and interests
- providing government with advice on how to improve outcomes for young people
- working with government agencies, local government and communities to deliver positive youth development opportunities
- funding services for young people in local communities
- building and sharing an evidence-base about youth development in New Zealand.
The Ministry of Youth Development is administered by the Ministry of Social Development.
Our History
In 1988 Government recognised that young people had little influence in decision-making processes, despite being profoundly affected by social, economic and political conditions. As a result, the Ministry of Youth Affairs was established.
In 2003, following a review by the State Services Commission, the new Ministry of Youth Development was created out of Youth Affairs and the youth policy functions of the Ministry of Social Development.
Use of the Ministry of Youth Development logo
The Ministry has strict guidelines about the reproduction and use of the Ministry of Youth Development logo.
