Brad Olsen gets role in migrant crisis

Brad Olsen , travels to Malta in November, having been selected to participate in the 33Sixty programme - a four-day summit involving 100 young leaders from Commonwealth countries.

Whangarei high-flyer Brad Olsen wants to help solve profiteering from the refugee crisis.

Mr Olsen, 18, travels to Malta in November, having been selected to participate in the 33Sixty programme - a four-day summit involving 100 young leaders from Commonwealth countries.

The event gets its name from the fact that 33 per cent of the world's population lives in the Commonwealth, of whom 60 per cent are under the age of 30.

The former Whangarei Boys' High student is in Wellington studying towards degrees in political science, international relations, economics and public policy. He said it would be an "amazing experience".

"It's a pretty meaty topic and we'll be presenting to heads of government."

This year's challenge, "How can we stop people profiting from migration?", will involve visits to organisations on the frontline of the refugee crisis, as well as to De La Rue, the world's largest commercial money and legal document printer.

Participants workshop their ideas before presenting back to officials attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta.

Mr Olsen was the youngest of the five New Zealanders attending the summit.

He hoped to return to New Zealand with a wealth of ideas to share.

"We are getting the knowledge and first-hand experience, but also want to come back and facilitate a discussion with young people around it."