BY MIKE TUA
ACHIEVING one’s dream job is not a cheap accomplishment nowadays. Many employers look for experience and qualifications when recruiting employees.
However in Honiara, the youth internship program ‘Youth at Work’ is making a positive difference in the lives of the city’s unemployed youths who lack job experience and higher educational qualifications.
The program funded by AusAID’s Pacific Leadership Program (PLP) and managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the Solomon Islands Government, provides mentoring, skills training, and work placement opportunities for unemployed youth.
Solomon Women spoke with Pascasia Tandarou, a form five leaver, currently doing her internship with SIEA’s Distribution Service.
Despite, having no job experience and tertiary education qualification, Ms. Tandarou was accepted last year to undertake 20 weeks of skills training with Solomon Islands Youth at Work, and this year she was one of the ten accepted candidates for six months of internship with Solomon Islands Electricity Authority (SIEA).
Ms. Tandarou said her role was to store recorded data, secure payment receipts of distribution service officers, and look after tools.
She said: “The supervisors in my department are very supportive and always keep me motivated and gave me all the freedom to think beyond the walls around me.
“It is twice as much fun as it sounds and most importantly no one made me feel like an intern over there. Because of the internship, my perception of the people around me changed. I have stopped judging a book by its cover.”
She said working with fellow colleagues and interacting with them on the daily basis has given her the passion to continue working with SIEA.
“Now I have gained more confidence. The internship has helped me discover the positive qualities in me. If possible I wish to re-apply to extend the internship.”
She said her consciousness about being a young female worker with no experience and qualifications and being new to a formal working environment was one of her biggest challenges.
“I think the situation for me as a female working alongside experienced and qualified people especially and working extra hours are sometimes very challenging unless one is exceptionally committed to a job and willing to take challenges.
“Working overtime can be very challenging but I am determined to gain as much experience as possible in order to improve my chances of gaining permanent employment.
“I hope the experience gained during my six months internship will add a little more weight to my Curriculum Vitae.”
Ms. Tandarou said her job experience with SIEA will not only increase her chances of getting a permanent job but securing a scholarship as well.
She acknowledged SPC, SIG, SIYW, and SIEA for working together to assist youths to gain job experience under the Youth Internship Programme.
