$267,000 provided to support life skills programs for young South Australians
More than $267 thousand in funding has been awarded to 19 organisations across South Australia to support programs helping young people build essential life skills and prepare for adulthood.
The 2025 Youth Action Plan Life Skills Grant, delivered by the Department of Human Services, was open to a range of eligible groups including local councils, not-for-profit organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
Empowering young people with practical life skills
Successful applicants received up to $15 thousand to deliver or expand initiatives aimed at developing practical skills such as financial literacy, job readiness and navigating government services.
Due to the high calibre of applications, the original funding pool of $250 thousand was increased to $267,118.
Diverse and high-quality programs from metro and regional SA
Among the 19 successful applicants are:
- Aboriginal Family Support Services Ltd, which requested $14,700 to deliver a mentoring program for young people in Coober Pedy who may be at risk of becoming involved in the youth justice system.
- The Queer Society Incorporated, which will receive $13,916 to deliver Proud and Prepared, a life and employability skills program for LGBTIQ+ young people aged 12–25 in Marion, Holdfast Bay, Mt Gambier, and Port Augusta.
- Hope Together Limited, which has been granted $14,305 to deliver a culturally inclusive program focusing on teaching financial literacy, job readiness, basic home tasks, personal well-being, car maintenance, and how to access government services for vulnerable youth in Port Augusta.
- City of Onkaparinga, which will use $14,988 to deliver a life skills initiative How to Adult’ (H2A) for young people 14-25. The interactive workshops will explore essential topics such as financial literacy, government services, rights, workplace readiness and wellbeing.
Supporting the transition to adulthood in SA’s Youth Action Plan
The grants support the Transition to Adulthood theme of SA’s Youth Action Plan 2025–2028, a roadmap aimed at providing young people, particularly those facing isolation, disadvantage and discrimination, with more opportunities to thrive.