The Samoa National Youth Council, International Labour Organisation and the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development have created a new and interactive medium to engage the country’s unemployed youth.

At the Tanoa Tusitala, the organisations launched an online website called the e-Youth-Hub to centralise all existing employment services relevant to youth for ease of access.

The “Youth Employment Network” will provide information and basic employment services to facilitate successful entry by youth to the labour market.

The Associate Minister of M.W.C.S.D, Tofa Li’o Foleni, said that the e-Youth-Hub is a first for Samoa.

“This is key outcome of the Samoa One-UN Youth Employment Programme implemented by the M.W.C.S.D designed to implement shortfalls contributing to the alarming rate of unemployment in Samoa,” he said.

“The aim for this project is to address limited access and connectivity to existing employment services crippling young people’s ability to find jobs in the formal sector."

“We also ask how the S.N.Y.C would as the national platform for youth advocacy achieve this goal, but the E-Platform component will be implemented into 3 parts."

“First, S.N.Y.C will focus on centralising existing employment services online under the one hub for ease of access for youth."

“Secondly, to connect to relevant partners such as M.C.I.L and the private sectors to link youth with available opportunities whether it is employment, training, volunteer or internship opportunities."

“[And] lastly it is profiling capabilities where young people no longer have to worry about a CV or cover letter rather the e-youth hub will do it for them and through capacity building carried out by S.N.Y.C, employers will no longer have to worry about whether they will be interviewing youth with bad work ethics or youth with non-existent soft skills.”

He emphasise that the e-platform is a youth friendly, youth accessible online gateway to getting themselves employable through the S.N.Y.C profiling and trainings and for employers to have a one stop shop access to an available youth work force.

“I urge everyone to register on this new venture that is the youth designed and youth led to navigate connectivity to solving human resourcing issues.”

Lastly Tofa emphasise that the e-Youth Hub is the beginning of things to come in mobilising and empowering youth to become masters of their own future and partners in the development of Samoa whether in social, economic and political stability.