New Reports on Multicultural Youth

The Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues has released two papers written for the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth on working with multicultural young people.

'Multicultural Youth in Australia: Settlement and Transition' outlines the needs of newly arrived young people across all areas, including:

• Education and training;
• Employment;
• Health services;
• Justice and the law;
• Sport and recreation;
• Youth participation.

This paper also contains a number of case studies of young people's experiences.

Steve Francis and Sarah Comfoot, authors of both papers, conclude that youth participation and consultations are key factors in meeting the above needs.

'Working with Multicultural Youth: Programs, Strategies and Future Directions' discusses and reviews the programs in place to assist newly arrived young people.

The authors also outline recommended future directions:

• The development of a national refugee youth settlement strategy;
• The development of an on-arrival case co-ordination model for young people;
• Enhanced youth orientation and information provision;
• Programs that build social capital;
• Cross-cultural parenting programs and family support;
• More opportunities for youth participation and community development projects;
• The development of community education programs and intercultural dialogue;
• Enhanced research and data collection;
• Outreach models and flexible service delivery;
• Investment in sector support;
• The creation of a national voice for multicultural youth issues.

Both reports are attached for downloading.

Source: Infoxchange Australia