Connect & Thrive: A Plan for Young People in Hume 2022 – 2026

The Year 2 Connect & Thrive: Annual Report provides an overview of the highlights and achievements in 2023/24.

Highlights and achievements include:

  • 3,781attendances at after-school, school-based and school holiday programs for 8 to 24 year olds
  • 2,174 young people attended FReeZA events
  • Over 1000 community members attended Hume Youth Makers Market
  • 17 young people graduated from the new Youth Central Training Café
  • 7010 students from Grade 3 to Year 12 completed the Hume Resilience Youth Survey
  • 14 projects delivered as part of the Hume Empowering Communities Initiative funded by Department of Justice and Community Safety
  • 700 young people attended the Hume Youth Summit and VET Discovery Expo in partnership with the Hume Whittlesea Local Learning and Employment Network (HWLLEN)
  • 4 award initiatives delivered which included Hume Young Leaders Award 2023, Hume VCE Achievement Award, the Hume Youth Anthology Awards, Victorian Bar Foundation Program, with a total of 131 young people being recognised for their academic, creative and leadership skills and talents.
  • 7 new pathway programs delivered including the Youth Action Committee, Youth Central Training Café and Breakfast Club, Hume Youth Makers Market, Next Gen Resumes, VR Work Window, Level Up Training Calendar, and Pathway Support Open Door Program.
  • 180 young people engaged in the new Middle Years Primary to Secondary School Transition Program; and
  • 2 sector networks delivered quarterly including Tangible Connections Network and the Primary and Secondary School Principals’ Breakfast with over 240 school and youth sector representatives attending throughout the year.

Download Year 2 Connect & Thrive: Annual Report(PDF, 49MB)


Hume City Council’s Connect & Thrive - A Plan for Young People in Hume, 2022 - 2026 reaffirms Council’s commitment to contributing to positive health, social and economic outcomes for young people aged 6 to 24 years. This plan aims to support seamless care and transition support for adolescents and young adults, underpinned by a comprehensive suite of services and support designed specifically for Hume’s young people and their families.

This plan builds on Council’s many years of working with local young people and their families, and its youth sector partners. It has considered evidenced informed practices and research into this critical stage of learning and development. Informed by consultation with young people, families, staff and partner agencies, the plan sets out a vision for Council’s Youth Engagement and Pathways Unit and outlines how these services will change and transform in the years ahead.

Connect & Thrive: A Plan for Young People in Hume 2022 - 2026(PDF, 3MB).

Five key priority areas:

Action Area 1: Youth and Family - Friendly Places and Spaces

Council will continue to provide and enhance welcoming, interesting, multipurpose centres for young people and their families, while also working to provide youth-friendly environments in other venues, facilities, and spaces in the community. This will be underpinned by best-practice, youth-informed frameworks for these spaces which will ensure that they are accessible, flexible, safe, and responsive to the unique characteristics of young people and the communities to which they belong.

Action Area 2: Information, Resources and Navigation

Council will bring together a diverse collection of relevant youth and community information and resources for young people and their families, and make these available at centres, libraries and digitally. These resources will improve navigation across needed services and supports, while also providing opportunities for young people to explore interests, identity, and issues affecting their lives.

Action Area 3: Innovative, Responsive and Impactful Programs

Council will deliver and partner with key stakeholders to provide innovative, interest-driven, and experiential programs that support social health and wellbeing, connection, creativity, life-skill development, educational achievement, and employment pathways. Additionally, Council will establish a range of culturally safe and responsive programs that bring young people and families together to respond to their needs and interests, while fostering strong and healthy relationships.

Action Area 4: Advocacy & Stewardship

Council will develop new partnerships and bolster existing ones to strengthen the local youth sector. This will be achieved by facilitating information sharing, supporting service coordination, and sharing available resources. Council will ensure that young people have opportunities for their voices to be heard and listened to, their rights respected, their needs and interests represented and have opportunities to be involved in civic engagement and decisions that affect them.

Action Area 5: Supporting Transitions

Council will develop and deliver a suite of new, targeted programs and resources that will support successful transitions for young people and their families. This will include programs and resources that support the transition from primary to secondary school, secondary school to work or further education, the move from dependence upon family to relative independence and identify formation. This will include programs and initiatives focussed on developing young people’s capabilities, and strengthening links between schools, training providers and businesses.

Our Voices

Connect and Thrive: A Plan for Young People in Hume has been informed by extensive consultation with young people and families, schools, community agencies.

For more information about Connect & Thrive, please contact Youth Engagement and Pathways on 9205 2556 or email youth@hume.vic.gov.au.

Statement of Commitment

Hume City Council is a child safe organisation with a zero tolerance for child abuse. Council actively listens to and supports children to be strong, confident and self-determined citizens. Council provides a safe working environment that values child safety, diversity and inclusion for all children aged 0 – 18 and adheres to the Victorian Child Safe Standards and related legislation. For more information view Child Safe Commitment - Hume City Council

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