Overview

The Tibet Relief Fund (TRF) recognises the need to assist young Tibetans in developing skills, promoting employment and encouraging small businesses. The aim of its Enterprise Project (YOTA) is to provide a long-term sustainable programme in order to alleviate the current problems of youth unemployment experienced in Tibetan settlements in Asia. This is to be within a framework of maintaining the Tibetan culture and the integrity of the settlements where possible but recognises the need for some out placement into the wider community.

There will be four wings to the project, three of which will be run in close co-operation with the Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala, building on existing schemes and frameworks when applicable.

·     A young entrepreneur scheme to follow the aims and guidelines suggested by the international branch of the Prince's Trust, Youth Business International (YBI). This will be run through Youth Opportunity Trust (YOT) in India.

·     A careers guidance and skills development programme to run through workshops for both dropouts and graduates and eventually within schools. This will also incorporate various training opportunities and will work in partnership with Indian businesses, the Tibetan community and various organisations and NGOs such as Rotary, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) and the Tibetan Women's Association (TWA).

·     A proactive job and careers advice portal, with resource material and guidance for jobseekers, entrepreneurs and students that will draw on advice and expertise from careers programmes in Asia and the UK, Asian businesses and the Tibetan community. This will develop into an interactive on-line employment agency, and business and careers advice service.

·     A programme of support for the existing Youth Empowerment Support (YES) programme run by the Central Tibetan Relief Committee (CTRC) Dharamsala, in particular, in the Tibetan settlements in South India. This is a programme that offers training to dropouts and provides soft loans to set up micro enterprises.

Activities and future plans

·     YOTA held a Youth Employment Conference in Delhi last December where the results of YOTA's Tibetan Youth Survey Delhi 2004 were presented. The conference was most successful. Attended by numerous Tibetan and Indian officials and businessmen, the conference has led to the establishment of contacts with a number of businesses. These contacts will be followed up in order to ensure concrete outcomes in the field of employment for Tibetan youths.

·     YOTA is now in the process of setting up training opportunities and career related workshops for students, graduates and school drop outs in Delhi. This will be run as a pilot project with the aim of extending activities beyond Delhi in the future. The first batch of beauticians started their training at the end of March. Other opportunities will be provided shortly – watch the News & Events page.

·     Last year, a delegation of young Tibetans took part in an Initiatives of Change Youth Leadership conference held at their Asia Plateau Centre, Panchgani near Pune. This was a great success and everyone is looking forward to working together again in the future. To this end, a number of contracts for young Tibetans to work at the Centre for a one-year management and administrative training programme have been allocated. These placements will provide grounding in all aspects of business administration and event management – YOTA and the CTRC will be looking to further these opportunities. YOTA will also be sending 10 young Tibetans on this year's IC Youth Leadership camp.

·     The YOTA website www.youthopportunities.org, provides an interactive site for jobseekers, entrepreneurs, students and others seeking careers advice. The site will soon benefit from input and materials from careers programmes in India and the UK, Indian businesses and the Tibetan community. Working closely with the CTRC, this site will be publicised throughout the Tibetan community in exile and will build up into both a valuable resource and an interactive on-line employment agency and business and careers advice portal.