Admin calls on judiciary, legislature and private sector to support SYEP

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — ASG’s Human Resources Department is looking for “quality and productive worksites” to employ participants of the government-sponsored Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which begins June 27 and runs through Aug. 19 for a duration of 8-weeks.

In a June 1 letter to ASG agencies and departments, and including the Fono and the Judicial Branch as well as the private sector, Human Resources acting director Max Tuitele explained that participants will be placed at the worksites for four-hours a day, twenty-hours a week from Monday to Friday.

Other activities will include Job Readiness training, Career Development, Social Skills and Occupational skills training, which will be provided in conjunction with employment, said Tuitele.

He pointed out that the SYEP is designed to prepare youth for entry into the labor force and to provide job training to those disadvantage individuals facing barriers to employment. Additionally, high school senior students age 18 to 24 are eligible.

“Youths will be assessed and placed in various worksites and classroom component opportunities that will link academic and occupational learning for career exploration in the future,” said Tuitele.

ASG entities and businesses wanting to provide a worksite for SYEP participants can contact DHR’s Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act Division at 633-4485 ext. 4110 or 4106 for more information. Or emails: Anthony Loa ([email protected]) or Bert Thompson ([email protected]). 

ASG officials told Samoa News that all government agencies are providing worksites for the SYEP participants, “as been done in past years” and that some private sector businesses have also submitted their request to be worksites. Deadline for submission is June 10.

Participant registration for SYEP is underway through June 10. For more information for people applying on Tutuila contact Marie Paaloalo or Bert Thompson at 633-4485.  For Manu’a participants, contact Candice Mutini or Theresa Reid at 770-1964 / 782-0367.