TYEE: Solving Youth Unemployment Challenges

TYEE is an NGO in Tonga seeking to address youth unemployment by providing relevant "work readiness" training program, identifying and placing young people aged 18-29 in jobs and encouraging youth entrepreneurship, with the aim of empowering our unemployed youth to secure a better future for themselves and their families.

TYEE solution is an innovative holistic program approach to solving youth unemployment, irrespective of gender, religion or socio-economic grouping. TYEE core focus is on disadvantaged youth, who due to personal circumstances left school early and were considered "un-employable." Although open to all young people aged 18-29, the majority who complete our training are women, and we also specifically target young people with disabilities.

TYEE works with a mission and tackles this challenge heads on by bridging the skills and opportunity gaps for the disadvantaged youth with combinations of a proven work readiness program, (counselling support), employment placements, (new technology center), creating jobs they love and generating income through entrepreneurship and mentorship support.

There are not enough jobs in Tonga to cater for our growing youth population and not everyone who completes their education will get a job. But it's not just jobs that the youth need, prompts the need for us to provide a holistic approach program by: 

• selecting and preparing youth for training program
• providing a proven work-readiness/skills development training program for youth to be work-ready
• counselling for youth (with personal struggles), parents and employers,
• connecting quality work-ready youth with employers for quality on-jobs technical training plus wage employment
• (providing a Youth Tech Center with equipment for skills development for better career path choices in both employment and entrepreneurship), and
• providing post-placements mentorship support to youth employees, parents and employers 

TYEE believes that our holistic program has been piloted and proven successful in Tonga. TYEE can further develop and tailor it to suit and implement the program to be successful in any other parts of the Pacific and across the globe. Providing disadvantaged youth with the right platform for opportunities and support will improve their skills, personal status, livelihoods, their families and helping businesses grow, which inevitably contributes to their country's economy, development and growth.

In our experience, disadvantaged youth often lack confidence, knowledge and skills to secure jobs and are unsure about their future vocational direction. Youth often have unrealistic job expectations and overestimate their job capacity, due to a lack of information, high-parental expectations and peer pressure. 

Employers are reluctant to employ youth due to lack of basic employable skills, such as - work attitude, ethics, commitment, communication and time management. 

TYEE bridges this gap by providing relevant and holistic training, designed specifically for our youth to be "work ready." It also provides relevant information/support to disadvantaged youth who are interested in being young entrepreneurs.

TYEE identified that youth unemployment was a national issue. In Tonga, there are 2,000 school leavers each year, with only 300 jobs available (Tonga Government statistics).

TYEE developed a holistic and relevant Work Readiness Program (WRP) to tackle youth unemployment, which has been very successful. 

TYEE July 2016 and September 2016 WRP statistics and outcomes can be viewed on this link.

TYEE July 2017 WRP was funded byDFAT Tonga Skills. 85% successfully completed the course including youth with a disability, 99% are in employment, 1% tbc. 

The impact of TYEE solution is reflected on the youth who've completed the program and secured employment. Youth improving skills, earning an income, helping their families, improving their livelihood, contributing to their community and Tonga economy. Employers and industry partnerships within the growth industries (i.e. tourism/hospitality, whale-watching, sandalwood, internet/mobile, airline, etc) benefit. Gain confidence in hiring quality prepared youth supported by TYEE. The outer islands and schools will also benefit. TYEE solution is deployed to them with a human-centered focus both online and manual, theory and practical delivered in Tongan and English languages.

Track online and manual registration system, database easily generates statistic reports - Number of youth registering for the program

Track monitoring evaluation system being conducted straight after each module to identify the status of each trainees progress and development - Number of youth who have successfully completed the program

TYEE Recruitment updates, tracks and monitors the online and manual system for completed employers staffing requests, employed youth, duration and terms of youth in employment to sustain the support for their families - Number of youth with proven results of improved skills, livelihood and standards of living

TYEE solution is proven unique and innovative because no one has done it in Tonga successfully. TYEE has a holistic approach with a key focus on tackling the root causes of youth unemployment prior to connecting them with employers and real economic opportunities. TYEE solution wishes to expand on its existing programs, invest in a tech center facility with equipment, boost relevant technology use for youth, employers and schools, innovate new ideas for impact and expand on current geographic areas. 

TYEE solution sees the need for technology as a value added component but to remain a human-centered focused approach. Having a fiber optic cable internet access in Tonga, TYEE sees the need to utulise this opportunity a fast accessible internet combined with technology to upskill and equip youth (and employers) with the relevant skills on how to use and utulise technology as a vital tool for work and business. The pre and post technology use component will remain a human centered focused connecting youth with employers, connecting youth with their own business being entrepreneurs, connecting people with people. 

TYEE fosters industry partnership packages with local IT/internet/mobile providers in Tonga to provide the relevant service for the expansion of its program and the use of technology. Key stakeholders and the general public are able to access our solution through manual/online platforms website / social media and direct visitation to our office location in Nuku'alofa (and future office(s) in the outer islands). TYEE aims to provide the right platform for opportunities and support for the disadvantaged youth in a cost effective way. 

TYEE planned activities is set-up to be driven on impact and revenue outcome approaches. The revenue generation activities will help with financing our operation costs. Such activities can be viewed here. The team is also on standby with self-investment options as a back-up for rainy days if required. 

TYEE's financial ability to scale up to meet the needs of a nation's ever-growing youth generation within a challenging business environment. TYEE's ability to staff a complex operation to better cater for the needs of youth at different levels, also the needs of employers and support for parents of youth. Investment in a proper facility, center for youth as well as space for youth training and program. Investment in proper equipment and resources to make a real impact in the lives of youth and others.

https://madmimi.com/p/85ef5a

https://www.tyeetonga.org/media.html

https://www.facebook.com/tyeetonga/

TYEE is passionate and driven by positive impact key player, change-maker, innovator and challenging the status quo. TYEE believes that if we are able to deliver results to our target audience and donors, make real impact in the lives of disadvantaged youth and their families, employers and their businesses with a proven piloted innovative programs, then we should be bidding our work to the best in the industry for consideration and support. 

Imagine, how far TYEE could take its work to, if only we'd receive the right opportunities and support to work with and scale up.

Local Partner Employers and Sponsors 

Australian Government funded program Tonga Skills

Tonga Mental Health and Disability Association (TMHDA)

Tonga Catholic Church Colleges

There is no other organisation in Tonga dealing specifically with youth unemployment.