The complexity of health issues facing young people, an appreciation that problems arising in adolescence may have long term implications for health, and greater confidence about the value of clinical intervention are key factors underpinning current efforts in Australia to build an education agenda for health professionals working with young people. This paper outlines a series of education initiatives in both undergraduate and postgraduate settings and discusses the growing support for more strategic and coherent approaches to education nationally. In particular, efforts to improve the capacity of health professionals to work with young people are described, together with the opportunity for more focused subspeciality training in Adolescent Medicine. Within our region and beyond, Australia is increasingly being turned to as a model of academic leadership in adolescent medicine, including professional education and training. In Australia, this has been best achieved by centres of excellence in adolescent health.