Victoria's next government must introduce a program to help unemployed young people move back into work or education, a leading social advocacy body says.
The so-called youth guarantee scheme is on the Victorian Council of Social Service's state election wish list, released on Wednesday ahead of the November 26 poll.
The program would guarantee work, education or training opportunities to Victorians aged 15 to 24 within four months of them being unemployed, the council's chief executive Emma King said.
"It is a real game changer," Ms King told AAP. "It would be transformative and genuinely change people's lives."
A similar scheme already operates in the European Union, with more than 24 million young people either starting a job or continuing their education as a result of the program.
Victorian young people would either register for the guarantee or services they're already connected to would link them into the program, Ms King said.
"Young people have lost a lot of hope after lockdowns and a pandemic where things are tough," she said.
"We keep going back to this full job market, but it's harder for people at an entry level trying to get in the door.
"This (guarantee) is actually cause for hope and optimism."
The council is confident all political parties will commit to the guarantee ahead of the state election, as the scheme was a key feature of a Victorian industry summit.
"The moment we started talking about it, there was a deep interest in it across the board," Ms King said.
"It doesn't matter whether people have come from an employee or an employer perspective or, in our case, from social services, there's been no pushback."
The council's election platform covers 12 areas including loneliness, public and community housing, mental health reform, and action on climate change.
Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 is also a target area, with the council pushing for the state government to also raise the minimum age of detention to at least 16.
There also needs to be reforms to ensure people who are experiencing poverty and disadvantage are not being turned into criminals.
One way would be to reclassify public space offences like begging and being a public nuisance, Ms King said.
"Rather than assisting people and giving them the support they need, they end up clogging up our criminal justice system," she said.
"What's the moral way to actually support people in our community who are vulnerable? It's a bit of a no-brainer."
