Provide Skills for Indonesian Unemployed Youth

“A crucial part of learning a language is being able to recognize, understand and reproduce sounds. For many language learners, concentrating on these first two aspects, as well as vocabulary and grammar, takes priority. However, this can result in a reluctance to practice speaking, which can delay your progress.” *

(https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/how-to-learn-a-language)

Dear friends,

Happy New Year 2023! We wish you much joy and blessings to you and your loved ones. 

Our English class students at the VTC always look forward to the opportunity to practice their English with others besides their classmates and the tutor. Before the pandemic, we often had foreign visitors, volunteers, and students who visited us for the day, joined in the classes and helped the students to practice their English.

Finally, a couple of months ago, high school students from Sekolah Global Indo-Asia (SGIA) in Batam visited YUM for their community service activity. These students were the same age as our VTC students, so it did not take much time for them to get along with each other.  There were 34 SGIA students and 24 VTC English class students. The participants were divided into 3 groups; each consisted of students from both sides.  In the first session, there was a list of questions that everyone had to answer such as their name, where they come from, school, hobby, and family. Then in the second session, the students had the freedom to ask any types of questions. Mr. Cecep, our English tutor, was there to supervise all of the activities.

“Speaking with the students from SGIA gives me more motivation to learn English. There were many things that I would like to ask, but it was limited with the words that I know.” SN, English Intermediate class student

“I am excited and nervous to meet the students from the international school. I feel not confident enough to speak English. But it turned out to be extremely fun! I learned many new words and how to pronounce them correctly. They were so friendly and kind.  The sessions with these students motivate me to learn more and make me more confident in speaking English.” FG, English Basic class student

Our students were very happy to have an opportunity to practice their English. They became more creative in using words and more confident in speaking. As for the SGIA students, we hope they had an unforgettable cultural experience with our students. 

Thank you for your continued generous support to ensure young people have the necessary skills for employment!

NOTE: Some of you might have heard the news that last November, an earthquake hit our working area of Cipanas, West Java. Many people suffered huge losses and many have lost their homes. Some of our projects had to momentarily stop, and we focused on providing as much support as possible to those families affected by the earthquake, many of whom were our own staff and neighbors. Thanks to donations from all over the world, we have already been able to provide relief to over 1,800 families and will continue to do so in the next months to come. If you are interested to read more about our earthquake relief efforts, find us on social media: @yayasanusahamulia

At YUM’s Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in Cipanas, we not only provide various courses to support job readiness but we also organise workshops, such as Job Seeking Skills, Financial Literacy, and Public Speaking. This term, we welcomed special guest speakers for the Job Seeking Skills workshop. Our guest speakers came from the law firm Widyawan and partners, who are associated with Linklaters, YUM’s donors for the past 10 years. The session was attended by 27 participants who were either our VTC students or part of our student sponsorship program.

The presentation focused on explaining to the youth that preparing for a job search is as important as preparing their CV. Before writing their CV, it’s crucial for them to do research on the job and the company they are applying to. A session of how to write a CV and prepare for the job interview was also part of the presentation. The participants enjoyed the video about how to do the interview correctly. They learned about what to do and what not to do during the interview. At the end of the session, one of the participants played the role as interviewee while the speaker played the role as the interviewer. It was a fun and informative session for everyone. 

“It is easy to understand the materials given by the speakers. This is the first time for me attending the workshop which prepares us to be ready for employment. In the future, I want to be a banker. From this workshop, I know how to make a good resume and be more ready for the interview. ” IK, student. 

“The workshop is fun and full of new information. My friend and I never had this kind of information before. We are grateful to have all of the knowledge directly from the expert.  Right now, I am in my first semester at Hospitality school. At YUM’s VTC, I enrolled in an English course at the Basic level. What I have learned today will definitely be useful for my future. “  FA, student. 

In other news: YUM’s 2021 Annual Report has been published! Find out more about all our activities by going to YUM 2021 Annual Report