Launch of Youth Advisory Group for the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway
Photo of the inaugural joint meeting of the RSSP Youth Advisory Group (YAG) and the first cohort of RSSP students, chaired by YAG member Nouralhuda Akhlaki, 19 June 2025. The session covered hopes and dreams, how to balance uni and work, and advice on how to prepare for life and study in Australia.
This World Refugee Day Skill Path has joined forces with the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) to launch a new Youth Advisory Group to guide the development of the ground breaking Refugee Student Settlement Pathway.
The Youth Advisory Group puts young people with lived experience of displacement at the centre of the RSSP’s design and delivery, ensuring the program reflects the realities, strengths, and needs of refugee students. This key advisory body will assist with the co-design and ongoing planning, implementation and evaluation of the RSSP.
The Youth Advisory Group will advise on the following aspects of the RSSP:
Student Welcome Groups and peer support
Academic preparation
Sociocultural / resettlement preparation
Community resources
Orientation and “soft landing” materials
Program impact and evaluation
The focus of the RSSP YAG is to provide advice and feedback and to review materials including but not limited to student welcome packs, loans, welcome group materials and more. The RSSP YAG members will have the opportunity to meaningfully inform the way that the RSSP offers a welcome to displaced students, and they will contribute to the ongoing upgrade of university support for refugee students in Australian higher education.
This initiative reflects the commitment of Skill Path and MYAN to embed refugee leadership at every stage of the RSSP.
About the Members
Members of the 2025 Youth Advisory Group hail from different states and territories across Australia. The members are young people aged 18-30 who are either enrolled in university/tertiary education in Australia or have recently graduated in the last 12 months. Members are all from a first-generation refugee or forced migration background.
Learn more and meet the 2025 members of the Youth Advisory Group here.
About MYAN
Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) is Australia’s leading voice for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. For over 15 years, MYAN has been championing the rights and interests of young people, and making sure their voices are heard. MYAN facilitates national connections between young people, academics, policy makers and practitioners, develops expert policy advice, provides youth leadership opportunities, and develops capacity building resources. They are the ideal partner to establish and support this Youth Advisory Group.
Special thanks
We thank the inaugural 2025 members of the Youth Advisory Group for their service and expertise in helping shape the RSSP.
Thanks also to key partners Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia and Refugee Education Australia for their support making this initiative possible.
