Youth events and activities

While young people are limited in the activities they can participate in due to COVID-19, the City is delivering the following program for young people to connect to their community and learn new skills from home.

Peak Performance Online Youth Life Skills Course

The City has partnered with David Castelanelli to bring young people this eight-week self-paced life skills course.

Course topics include:

• modern goal setting
• social media distractions
• 10x productivity
• sleeps, breaks and naps
• mentorship and networking
• social media branding and resilience
• reset for the future.

David is a leading success mentor and coach for young adults. He was formerly the WA Youth Ambassador in 2018 and also a finalist in the 2019 WA Youth Awards. 

David has been voted as one of Australia's Top 100 Young Leaders and is currently appointed to the Minister's Youth Advisory Council (MYAC).

This self-paced program is free for young people aged 15–25. Contact the City via customer@rockingham.wa.gov.au for more information and to secure your course place.

The Junior Council program for 2020 did not commence as a result of COVID-19. 

Junior Council forms the first tier of the City of Rockingham leadership pathway for young people. The program offers two representative students from each primary school in the Rockingham area, and students attending alternative education programs, the opportunity to learn about advocacy and decision making at a local level. 

Throughout the year, Junior Council delegates will learn about local government decision-making processes, debating, and most importantly, what it means to represent and advocate in their community. Junior Council is run in a similar way as the City’s Ordinary Council Meetings with Junior Councillors being asked to table motions, debate them and vote on recommendations that are presented to Council each month. Past Junior Councils have been integral in initiating key projects such as: the development of footpaths in residential areas; installation of recreational equipment in parks; waste services initiatives and other youth motivated developments within the City.

The Junior Council meets once a month from March to November each year. Students are nominated by their school principal to join the Junior Council

The Rockingham Youth Employment Network was established in April 2018 and meets every three months. Participants provide guidance and support to the City’s annual Shape Your Future Youth Careers Expo, address local barriers young people have in gaining employment, educate and support local business to employ local young people and advocate for improved support services.

There are over 60 active members in the network including:

• Locally based jobactive service providers
• Not-for-profit support service providers
• Secondary schools
• Registered Training Organisations
• South Metro TAFE
• Rockingham Jobs and Skills Centre
• Murdoch University
• Rockingham Kwinana Chamber of Commerce
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA
• Department of Education
• Department of Training and Workforce Development
• Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

If you would like to be involved with the network, please contact the City via customer@rockingham.wa.gov.au or call 9528 0333.

The Shape Your Future Youth Careers Expo will take place on Wednesday 28 April 2021 from 10am-1pm at the Gary Holland Community Centre, 19 Kent Street, Rockingham. The expo will provide a one-stop shop for job seekers and young people aiming to find career pathways that would suit their skills and interests based on four key opportunity areas: 

• Employment support services
• Employment opportunities from local businesses
• Apprenticeships – Service providers and companies with apprenticeship prospects
• Training – TAFE and Registered Training Organisations in the region. 

The event will include:

• Local businesses/employers – up to 30 stallholders offering local employment opportunities
• Local jobs and service providers and relevant training organisations – up to 30 stallholders who can support and educate young people
• Employability workshops over the course of the event delivered by the Rockingham Jobs and Skills Centre
• A drop-in resume check-up service
• At least two amusements that provide a learning or upskilling opportunity i.e. barista training, PCYC driving simulator
• A live jobs board with at least 150 genuine employment opportunities/roles
• A passport activity to engage young people with stallholders
• A 30-minute low sensory session prior to official event opening.

Stallholder registrations will commence in October 2020. Young people will be able to register to attend the event in February 2021. 

The City hosts two free Youth Life Skills Retreats during each school holiday period. Each retreat has a focus on practical life skills that foster confidence, prepare young people for adulthood and give them strategies to achieve their goals. This can include topics like budgeting, car maintenance, goal setting, moving out of home and confidence building activities. Retreats are delivered across older and younger age groups to cater for the different needs each has. Watch this space for announcements on upcoming retreats.