Director General for National Youth Development Authority (NYDA), Joe Itaki thanked individuals involved in Youth Resource Week (YRW) during the MoU signing between NYDA and YRW for taking the initiative in providing a platform for young people in the National Capital District (NCD). Speaking to the attendees, Itaki clarified that YRW initiated this event out of passion and without support from the government. “You have taken up the baton and now we are partnering with you.” He acknowledged the difficulty behind the organizing of young people and spoke appreciatively of YRW’s efforts. “Government alone cannot address the youth issue on its own. It needs collaborative efforts from the corporate sector, private sector, and individuals for support and investment in the youth space.” “The work that youth resource week has done is essentially getting us, the business and the government, together to interact and establish a common ground where we can all make positive investments in the journey towards tackling youth challenges in the country.” He referred back to Prime Minister James Marape’s words during the launching of YRW, stating that he desired to see all youths organized. “The challenge is how to connect and mobilize youths and link them with referral pathways.” “We need to partner with reputable organizations like Youth Resource Week, CDOs, and NGOs to help out-of-school youth access government incentives and opportunities. We should show them the paths to follow for support.” “We need to connect and guide youths to access crucial services. Youth Resource Week is important for linking youths to government support. We are eager to partner with this initiative to improve our strategies.” “If possible, we will expand this to other centers and keep mobilizing after the event.” Itaki stressed that it is time to move forward on the journey we have struggled with in recent years. “We aim to create a support system for youths who drop out of school and help them find career pathways they intend to pursue.”