About us

The National Youth Employment Body

The National Youth Employment Body (NYEB) is an alliance of people and organisations working together to deliver a coordinated, systemic approach to youth employment that invests in the skills and capabilities of young people.

Our work is grounded in these guiding ideas:

Systems thinking is a way of approaching complex problems by understanding the bigger picture. It looks at the different parts that make up a bigger whole, how they interact and how they could be shifted to work better for people. Systems thinking is necessary to unpack and understand the actions needed to pursue systemic change.


Place-based approaches help us address challenges by focussing on what is happening within a defined geographic location. It draws on the mix of resources and networks available to a community or region towards a shared problem or opportunity. It builds on the strengths and assets of community to develop and lead local solutions and leverage resources to respond flexibly and collaboratively to local contexts and priorities.

Capabilities approach is a framework that values people’s capabilities and the resources, relationships, and real opportunities they have to pursue what matters to them. It focuses on growing the agency and capabilities of people, services and systems in ways that build conditions for equitable economic and social participation.
Our theory of change

Building practice for change

The NYEB provides facilitative leadership to enable local and national participants to co-develop flexible strategies, document and share learnings, and inform policy making to improve youth employment pathways and outcomes in place.

Our enabling role involves:

  • Building collaboration and trust with community
  • Establishing local Community Investment Committees
  • Building understanding of the youth employment landscape
  • Building and implementing community-driven solutions
  • Building collaborative governance
  • Connecting knowledge to drive solutions
  • Building evidence to address youth unemployment

Our Theory of Change

Our Theory of Change Full Text

Our vision

Young people in Australia are thriving, socially connected and economically secure.

Our mission

Drive systems change to enable young people to have decent and meaningful careers while supporting the needs of employers and local communities.


The areas (domains) that we are applying effort to make change in are:

Community-led decision making

Long term outcomes: Community governance groups are leaders in youth employment solutions in their communities and use evidence to influence system-level change.

Medium-term outcomes: Community members collaborate across the NYEB alliance to co-design place-based initiatives and contribute to evidence of what works for young people in place.

Short-term outcomes: Community members form a place-based governance structure, develop a shared ambition and commitment to act, with coordination from a local lead partner organisation.

Government stewardship

Long term outcomes: Government actors steward more effective systems by engaging with community to co-design employment reforms that reflect local needs and recognise the capabilities of young people.

Medium-term outcomes: Government actors are informed by local knowledge and evidence to improve policies, programs, social infrastructure and resource allocation.

Short-term outcomes: Local, state and federal government actors have greater awareness of how structural barriers affect local youth unemployment.

Learner-centred education + training pathways

Long term outcomes: Education and training actors work with employment eco-system actors to build and scale pathways which centre learners and meet the needs of employers and industry.

Medium-term outcomes: Education and training system actors work together to better integrate across systems and are engaging in co-design for solutions that centre learners.

Short-term outcomes: Education and training providers engage with the NYEB and its mission by participating in community initiatives.

Invested employers

Long term outcomes: Employers and industry enable decent and meaningful employment opportunities for young people and a sustainable workforce that meets their needs.

Medium-term outcomes: Employers value young people’s capabilities and workforce contribution and are engaging with community and young people to design and implement workforce development practices.

Short-term outcomes: Employers and industry representatives engage with the NYEB and its mission through community relationships and local initiatives.

Youth voice + agency

Long term outcomes: Young people are active decision makers in employment solutions and policies that enable decent and meaningful work.
Medium-term outcomes: Young people advocate for youth-focused solutions which reflect their lived-experience through the NYEB.
Short-term outcomes: Young people have improved confidence, knowledge and skills to share their experiences of, and identify issues in, the employment eco-system.

Problems we are seeking to address

  • Young people face discrimination and are not meaningfully engaged in decision-making that affects them, leading to policies and programs that are not fit-for-purpose.
  • Social infrastructure, including transport, housing, and health services, are siloed and fragmented. It inadequately meets the wellbeing needs of community and deepens inequalities.
  • Education, training and employment pathways are misaligned with the needs of employers and industry and are failing to prepare young people for decent and meaningful work.
  • Employers and industry operate within systems that prioritise profits over long-term sustainability. This disincentivises investment in the social and economic value of young people.
  • Unequal power structures and top-down governance limit community leadership and shared accountability of decision making.

Resources