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About us
About us
The Ministry of Youth Development – Te Manatu Whakahiato Taiohi – promotes the interests of young people aged between 12 and 24 years inclusive.
 The
Ministry of Youth Development encourages and assists young people to be
involved in the social, educational, economic and cultural development
of New Zealand, both locally and nationally.
Key functions
The Ministry’s work involves keeping up to date on key issues affecting
young people, promoting the government’s Youth Development Strategy
Aotearoa, and 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 Minister
 Minister of Youth Affairs Hon. Paula Bennett
Our management team
Acting General Manager Ruth Palmer
Policy Manager
Peter Carr
Regional Development Manager Arthur Grooby
Youth Services Manager Stefan Weir
Youth Engagement Manager Lorraine Gittings
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.
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