APIA, SAMOA – The Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted an orientation training on soft skills for youth interns and university students on Tuesday 6^th December at Hotel Elisa Conference. The Youth Internship Programme is purposed to provide work placement opportunities for the youth to experience the work environment, gain practical knowledge and skills in the real world, as well as exploring potential pathways for their professional careers.

The participants including 17 females and 2 males were able to learn and engage in discussions on key soft skill topics such as communications and interpersonal skills, teamwork, work ethics, time management and goal setting.

The ILO Coordinator for Samoa, Laufiso Tomasi Peni states, “One of the ultimate purposes of social protection is to ensure the right protection for the most vulnerable groups or individuals in any society.” In Samoa, half or 50% of its population are below the age of 21 years. The youth population (i.e those between the age of 15 and 35 years old) amounts to 32% of the total population. Given such a young population, the most vulnerable groups in Samoa include the youth, women, children, and persons living with disabilities. The ongoing development challenge in Samoa is the high youth unemployment and school dropouts with more than 37% of the youth not in employment, not in education, or not in training. The social protection mechanisms need to respond to address this challenge so that youth and their families are not living in poverty and are able to find decent employment and standard of living.

ILO and SCCI would like to continue this support under the SP-JP to sustain the positive progress and momentum built through previous initiatives such as the Talavou Program, Youth Employment Programme (YEP) and the Youth Co-lab. The support involves technical support and funding to coordinate and facilitate the Youth Internship Program with the primary focus on Labour market services designed and scalable in Samoa to improve working age populations’ access to jobs and incomes – with specific attention to ensuring access for women, persons living with disability, and young people.

The youth interns have been placed on a 4-week internship program throughout December with private sector partners of various sectors including restaurants, retail, state owned enterprises, car rentals, manufacturers and exporters, and professional services.

APIA, SAMOA – The Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) through the support from the Pacific Adaptation To Climate Change And Resilience Building (PACRES) Project, coordinated a workshop on Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events for Private Sector engagement. The workshop objectives were to raise private sector awareness on climate science risks and extreme weather events, as well as identify the role of the private sector in national strategies that address climate change under key development sectors such as agriculture, tourism, energy, transport and environment.

“We are fortunate, through the Public Private Partnership, to have the support and participations of the relevant Government ministries and agencies in today’s workshop – the technical expertise and experience from our list of presenters today is warmly welcomed, and we look forward to this great opportunity for dialogue in climate change impacts on the private sector,” said SCCI Members Services Manager, Lote Lima in her opening remarks.

The workshop offered a venue for direct communication between representatives of the private
sector and relevant government stakeholders about formulation of policies and the implementation of national climate adaptation strategies. Accessing resources and the prioritized industry sectors where these resources are distributed are two common issues that business owners raised. With these key development sectors identified, participants were able to learn on the respective sector strategies, the supporting activities and the expected outcomes. Equally important are programs, projects, and opportunities for engagement through awareness and visibility, to capacity building or actual implementation through services and supply of goods.

One of the participants, Saifagaloa Sala-Leafa of Pacific Express Samoa Inc. Ltd commented, “I felt that I gained very good overview of the reality of climate change and how I should steer the direction of our company especially in terms of its Business Continuity Planning to ensure that we not only adapt to climate change impacts, but at same time, to be more mindful of how we
could contribute to mitigating actions to counter climate change. Personally, I came away feeling a bit more informed on how I could continue dialogue with my staff and work colleagues of ‘how can we help’ and ‘how can we prepare and adapt’. It was certainly a lot of information to try to take in at a small time, but I feel that I have enough info to look into this important matter at a greater detail.”

“The discussions and exchange shall inform an Engagement Strategy for the private sector on climate change that will be developed. This shall guide the role of the private sector in addressing adaptation response as well as mitigation efforts through simplified and accessible climate financing.” Technical Advisor, Ulu Bismark Crawley.

The Samoa Chamber is appreciative of these opportunities and the assistance of the Government and our regional partners in interacting with business about climate change-related issues and exchanging best practices in disaster risk management and mitigation strategies.

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Apia, Samoa – Samoa Chamber of Commerce held its first monthly Members Meeting for 2022 on Monday 31st October 2022 at the Hotel Elisa Conference Room, after being on hold since the last members meeting in November 2021 due to the lockdown. The Chamber Members Meetings serve as a forum for all Chamber members and members of the private sector, to be given an update on the work conducted by the Chamber Executive Council and Secretariat including policy issues being addressed to government officials and the sharing of any upcoming opportunities for the business community. The October Members Meeting for 2022 was sponsored by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit.

The October Members Meeting chaired by Chamber Vice President, Fa’aso’otauloa Sam Saili, was attended by 45 Chamber members. During the meeting CEO Lemauga Hobart Vaai provided members with a policy update focusing on private sector issues raised in the last quarter, including funding opportunities for the private sector. Business Link Pacific Manager John Lemoa also updated members on
the programme’s Phase II, expected to start early 2023, in which Business Link Pacific and the SME Finance
Facility activities will combine into a single programme and extended to cover 12 Pacific Island Countries.

The Special Presentation for the evening was provided by Alipate Tavo, Trade and Investment Adviser of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit. The presentation included what PACER Plus means for Samoa and the role of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit, which works with Samoa’s focal point, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Chamber welcomes 21 new members to its membership since the last Members Meeting in October
2021. The meeting was followed by a networking session hosted by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit. 

L-R: Luke Marston (PPIU Design and Development Adviser), Lemauga Hobart Vaai (SCCI CEO), Fa’aso’otauloa Sam
Saili (SCCI Vice President), Dr. Alisi Holani (PPIU Labour Mobility Specialist) and Alipate Tavo (PPIU Trade and
Investment Adviser).

Chamber Members Meeting

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Wednesday 19 October 2022, Suva, Fiji/Apia, Samoa – Private sector partnerships on climate resilience have gained momentum after Samoa’s Polynesia Sub-Regional Private Sector Workshop. The 27-29 September workshop focused on improving private sector access to climate finance, and stronger public-private partnerships. This workshop brought together representatives from the Government and the private sector in Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu. They were joined by regional and development partners and climate financing institutions.

Workshop participants recognised a key challenge faced by micro, small to medium enterprises in the region is access to climate finance. The workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholders to better understand the specific needs of the private sector. The challenges of accessing climate finance including practical financing and support options targeted for the Pacific private sector were also key discussion areas.

Acting Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Dr Filimon Manoni in his opening remarks, stated that the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent provides an opportunity to improve and strengthen our development approaches including our engagement as public and private sectors.

He stated that there is a need to increase the engagement of our private sector as contractors and service deliveries for governments on several adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

Chief Executive Officer of the Niue Chamber of Commerce, Ms Catherine Papani agreed that it has always been difficult for the private sector to access funding.

“Climate change is happening now, and some businesses will be gone in the next five years by the time funding can be accessed. It is time to act now and there is a need to think about the next generation and the future impacts of climate change.”

Access to finance and other technical support opportunities are necessary to ensure countries are prepared for climate change and disasters. Including private sector helps to ensure survival of local businesses and communities.

Ms Michelle Macdonald, Samoa Chamber of Commerce, and Industry (SCCI) President said a lot of funding requires governance and compliance. This requires regional bodies such as the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation to use their collective voice to ensure climate financing is accessible.

“A lot of our country priorities for climate change in the region are reflected in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The private sector needs to adapt to these priorities as this is where the donors will be coming through.,” she added.

The three-day workshop ended with a tree-planting programme organised by the Climate Change Division of Samoa’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) at the Vailima Reserve and Botanical Garden.

The workshop was made possible through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in collaboration with Samoa’s Ministry of Finance, SCCI and MNRE, with funding support from the Intra African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+), Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building (PACRES) Project. —-End

Apia, Samoa – Several young, local entrepreneurs have won seed funding to take their businesses to the next level, at the completion of the latest round of the Youth Co:Lab program. 

Through the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Regional, the Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has facilitated the fourth annual Youth Co:Lab Samoa National Dialogue 2022 from the 27th June – 1st July 2022 at the Tanoa Hotel Conference Room. 

Youth Co:Lab Samoa (YCL Samoa) is a startup incubator program that brings together a diverse group of Samoan youth in the early stages of operating their businesses, or young, aspiring entrepreneurs, and works to improve or create business plans introducing innovative thinking, financial planning and social impact through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The industry interest of this year’s cohort ranged from transportation, food services, 3D mapping and manufacturing, to name a few.

The key objectives of the Samoa National Dialogue include providing a national platform for young social entrepreneurs across Upolu and Savaii and to foster a sense of community between youth entrepreneurs, industry leaders, government stakeholders and business support including the Samoa Chamber being the National Private Sector Organization. 

“Today starts the National Dialogue for Samoa’s Youth Co:Lab bringing this program’s most important stakeholders, our young entrepreneurs, to discuss and establish a common goal to strengthen the coalition and establish an enabling ecosystem to promote social innovation through entrepreneurial spirit for the benefit of Samoa,” said Mr. Patrick Lawson, Second Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia, in his opening remarks for the program.

“Through our close partnership with the Samoa Chamber of Commerce, as the lead implementing partner for this initiative, the Youth Co Lab Initiative has supported over sixty young entrepreneurs since its inception in 2018 through capital investment, funding, capacity building, mentoring and networking opportunities,” said Ms. Verena Linneweber, Officer in Charge of UNDP.

The Samoa Chamber acknowledges the support of its private sector partners – BOSS Jewelry, TokoUso Barbershop and Food Bar, Brown Consult, Samoa Stationery and Books, SkyEye, Vodafone Samoa, Digicel Samoa, Mana Care, BookingSamoa, INSEACT and the Samoa Business Hub. The Chamber also wishes to thank the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, the UNDP Accelerator Lab as well as the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour, Ministry of Customs and Revenue, and the Ministry of Communications, Information, and Technology for their support and participation in this initiative. 

Through the inclusion of youth speakers, government stakeholders, industry leaders and regional partners, this infused an element of inclusivity in the program design in recognition that it is through these partnerships where the true strength of the YCL Samoa program lies. These ecosystem partnerships prove how together, a difference can be made for the benefit of Samoa’s youth entrepreneurs and business leaders of tomorrow.

“During the whole program, I was so impressed by all the methodology that helps promote and run my business smoothly. I had learned a lot from this workshop and am so honored to be part of it,” said YCL Samoa participant, Grace Jaydene Teleaga.

The week-long training culminated in a pitching competition for the young entrepreneurs to win seed-funding to support the development of prototypes for their business ideas for startup participants, or the furthering of business developments for scale-up entrepreneurs. The award categories were split by startup and scale-up tracks and included an Award for Social Impact, Award for Ingenuity, Award for Impactful Technology and the YCL Samoa 2022 Excellence Award. 

The Chamber wishes to congratulate the following youth entrepreneurs and this year’s award recipients: 

Award for Social Impact – Joseph Kupa, Kew Consult (st), and Jimmy Leausa, Salani Bright Horizons (sc);

Award for Ingenuity – Taupaū Alex Mikaele, Luma App (st), and Vaimoana Hunt-Lee, Fia Ola App (sc);

Award for Impactful Technology – Clark Duseigneur, Motu Visuals (st), and Hazel Lei Sam, Helping Hands (sc);

YCL Samoa 2022 Excellence Award – Taupaū Alex Mikaele, Luma App (st).

YCL Excellence Award winner, Taupaū Alex Mikaele, shared what this opportunity has meant for him, “I feel extremely honored and humbled to be awarded the YCL Excellence Award 2022. It came as a complete surprise as there were so many creative and innovative ideas amongst our cohort. Everyone did so well on the final day. It was inspiring to witness and be part of this group.  Thank you to Youth Co:Lab, Samoa Chamber, UNDP, mentors, facilitators and everyone involved in the program.

In early 2022, I started my entrepreneurship journey as the Managing Director of the Siusega Taxi Service. It was here where I got to understand the challenges faced by the Taxi Industry as a whole. I was immediately inspired to utilise my skills and knowledge to support the Taxi Industry in addressing some of these challenges, particularly with the national gap in taxi fare. This is where the idea and concept of Luma App (a taxi fare application) was born to standardise, regulate and update Taxi Fares in response to the ever-changing cost of fuel. 

I hope my story and journey will inspire every youth in Samoa to aspire to be an entrepreneur regardless of your circumstance. During my early upbringing in Manono, not once did I think of becoming an entrepreneur. We have all been taught in school to be great employees instead of encouraging our youths to be entrepreneurs themselves. I am grateful for the opportunities that later followed with education and mentorship to be where I am today. I would encourage all our youth to get involved, surround yourself with good people, be great and honest at what you do and the opportunities will present themselves,” said Taupaū. The YCL Samoa 2022 Excellence Award included a partial sponsorship from Samoa Market/Seki Eats, founded by YCL Samoa 2018 alum and inaugural YCL Samoa winner, Etuale Scanlan. 

YCL Samoa and the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem around it has grown because of the youth leaders that are part of this network. In the future, plans are to continue to scale this initiative and showcase more of Samoa’s youth entrepreneurs in Savaii and rural Upolu. 

“We would like to acknowledge the presence of the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Ms. Verena Linneweber. The support and partnership that we have with UNDP has allowed great initiatives like the Youth Co:Lab to be implemented and build the capacity of Samoa’s young entrepreneurs. We thank you Verena and the UNDP team, Christina and Tupe, for hosting another great YCL workshop. We look forward to growing this partnership to support more of our young aspiring entrepreneurs. We would also like to acknowledge and thank the Australian High Commission through DFAT, our donor partner for YCL 2022, H.E. Emily Luck and her team for supporting this workshop and creating opportunities for our youth. Thank you to the British High Commission through His Excellency, David Ward, for your partnership through the YCL to provide an internship opportunity for our participants and we look forward to working closely with your team in coordinating this,” said Ms. Lote Lima, Memberservices Manager at the Samoa Chamber of Commerce in her closing remarks on the final day of the program. 

Following this workshop, the SCCI and UNDP are dedicated to the development of these startups and will be implementing a follow-up internship thanks to the support by the British High Commission. Other startup support services available for youth entrepreneurs include mentorship, guidance and the potential for international exposure for their business growth. 

In the past five years, the regional Youth Co:Lab programme has been implemented in 28 countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific, and  has reached over 200,000 participants, benefiting over 11,000 young social entrepreneurs to date.