According to Youth Affairs Minister Meaghan Scanlon, YMCA Brisbane is looking for new members between the ages of 15 and 25 who are interested in assisting their community, the political process and in leadership.
The minister encouraged applications for the 93 positions on offer and said participating would provide an ideal opportunity to understand the way government works, while also giving them a chance to make connections with serving Members of Parliament. She added:
“This program has a strong focus on skills in leadership, public speaking, teamwork and influencing change."
A key aim of the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament is to give younger members of the community a voice. Its members represent a diverse range of young Queenslanders who hail from all backgrounds. Opportunities such as this have often been widely advertised via flyer printing campaigns and the media.
Each of the successful candidates will represent an electorate to which they are connected in some way, including as a volunteer or through schooling. The YMCA receives $65,000 a year to enact the programme, which will see those taking part form committees, each of which will then develop an independent Youth Bill, which will then be the topic of debate in September at Parliament House.
Nominations must be submitted by February 14, 2021.