Ten youth entrepreneurs have completed an eight-week Youth Co:Lab Internship Programme, thanks to the support and three-way partnership between the British High Commission, the Samoa Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations Development Programme.

In a joint press release issued by the project partners, the project partners said the internship served as a supplementary business support initiative for youth entrepreneurs that participated in the latest Youth Co:Lab Samoa National Dialogue 2022, which is an incubator program that aims to empower and equip young people to operate startup businesses of their own. The eight-week internship programme ran from 23 August to 18 October. 

The Chamber's Member Services Manager Lote Lima said it was the first time they added an internship component to the Youth Co:Lab programme, which she said enables young entrepreneurs to gain work experience and insights on the operations and standards of work placement that can help their capacity growth for their own business.

“The Samoa Chamber of Commerce has long strived to ensure its services and programs benefit not only the private sector in Samoa, but also Samoa’s young aspiring entrepreneurs," Ms. Lima said. 

"Over the years, we have seen a great increase in interest in the Youth Co:Lab programme since its first in 2018.

"This has indicated that more and more youth are now focusing on building their own businesses that can help address social issues, help communities and enhance technology development."

The participating youths took the opportunity have entrepreneurial interests and startups in varying sectors including: elei and t-shirt printing, handcrafted adornments, cake baking, social media marketing, online retail, and recycling. 

As early stage entrepreneurs, each of the youth participants were excited with the mentorship from industry experts to build their capacity on operating a local business. Prior to the start of the program, the Chamber ran a soft-skills training to best prepare the youth interns for their work placements.

"We acknowledge the support of our private sector partners – Radio Polynesia, Digicel Samoa, KEW Consult, EnCode Software Solutions, Onelook Studio, Samoa Institute of Directors, Geeking Up Samoa and the Development Bank of Samoa Savaii for serving as work placements for the youth interns," Ms. Lima added. 

"Under the leadership and guidance of these organizations, the interns have shared improved skills in bookkeeping and accounting software, website development, digital literacy, cloud-based software and systems, communication and marketing strategies, product testing and research, customer service and more."

The British High Commissioner to Samoa, David Ward, gave the keynote address and echoed Ms. Lima’s sentiments while encouraging the next phase of the graduates’ entrepreneurial journey with a challenge for themselves and "a better Samoa".

“And so I want to say to those who are graduating today from this eight-week program is to be ambitious, for if you do not do this then the chances for progress for Samoa, the chances for a better life for those around you, are less than they would be if you do not use what you have learned," Mr. Ward said. 

"Take a risk, be ambitious and work for yourselves and for Samoa. If you can achieve that, I would be delighted and the people of Samoa will be one step closer to achieving the [Sustainable Development Goals] and one step closer to a richer, safer, securer society that they all want to live in.”