TO get into Youth@Work, you have to perform a minimum of one month’s community service.
Youth@Work interns for the 6th phase of the Youth@Work internship programme are now weeks into their community service stage.
The community service sees youth in the program taking up initiative and doing work in and around their communities and in public places and programs.
Some of the community has included working with the recent measles campaign’s satellite clinics, an upcoming outreach program with Transparency Solomon Islands and also Youth Women in Parliament.
Some of the youths are also doing an advocacy exercise to raise awareness for youth issues – Fotovois and also landscaping work in the public owned Art Gallery.
The community service is part of the selection criteria of the Youth@Work internship program for young people who wish to join the program and hopes to instil the value of hard work within the youth who go through the community service and the general internship program.
As of early September, more than 300 youths have joined the programs phase 6 and is currently part of the community service.
Youth@Work is a combined effort of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Ministry of National Unity, Peace and Reconciliation; Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration and the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs.
It is a long term programme to tackle youth unemployment in the Solomon Islands and is funded by Australian Aid.
To date, over 1,600 youth have been given job internships and extensive training under the programme, with another 1500 youth given entrepreneurial opportunities and training through the popular YOUTH MARKET.
