Youth Career Initiative (YCI), a program designed to combat global youth unemployment by the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), is looking at the possibility of sponsoring Vietnamese business startups.
“We are thinking about that,” Santosh Bhuvad, YCI regional coordinator for Asia Pacific, told DEALSTREETASIA, adding that YCI has already included helping start business in the agenda.
Currently, YCI partners with leading hotel groups, including Hilton Hanoi Opera, InterContinental Hanoi Westlake and Sheraton Hanoi, and local development organisation REACH to assist the most disadvantaged youth in securing jobs in the hotel industry.
Most of the funding for the program is raised by the hotels, while YCI offers financial support in the early stage. However, Bhuvad did not reveal how much YCI has been giving to such programs.
YCI was started in Vietnam four years ago; it’s next event will take place in August, 2015. The program has made its appearance in 11 countries, and Bhuvad said he definitely wanted to develop the program in Vietnam.