"A cat can change a teenager's life," said Tommy Wang, head of the organization "Cube Cat." Teenagers growing up in cramped subdivided flats may never have imagined that one day they could overcome their confusion and build self-confidence by caring for cats. To provide more opportunities for underprivileged youth to learn practical skills and receive recognition, "Cube Cat," with the support of the Innovation Lab and the Social Innovation Fund, launched a program to support employment for youth living in subdivided flats. This program provides free cat care training and employment platforms for teenagers aged 18 to 29 living in subdivided flats and other underprivileged communities, opening up different paths for them.
Tommy, who is in charge of the "Pamper You - Supporting Employment for Youth Living in Subdivided Flats" program, pointed out that many teenagers living in subdivided flats or from low-income families face multiple challenges such as insufficient resources, lack of career direction, and high psychological stress, and lack opportunities to learn practical skills. Tommy hopes that through the program, these teenagers can feel the power of being trusted and seen: "Participating teenagers do not need to have experience in cat care, but they need to have a heart that cares for cats and a willingness to learn. We hope that through the emerging, therapeutic, and practical industry of cat care, we can provide these teenagers with their first step into the workplace, thereby building their confidence, sense of responsibility, and empathy."
Teenagers overcome confusion by learning to care for pets
The organization has provided cat care training to over 30 teenagers, totaling 16 sessions and 48 hours of instruction. The courses are jointly designed and taught by cat groomers, cat behavior trainers, instructors, social workers, and industry partners. Course content includes daily cat behavior, common diseases and prevention, emotion recognition, care techniques, simple grooming and health checks, principles for selecting pet supplies and food, social media applications, pet product marketing, pet photography, and creative cat-themed handicrafts, enabling participants to acquire practical skills while also developing their personal creativity and potential.
Tommy explained that they currently collaborate with various organizations, including senior centers, youth and family support agencies, and cat-friendly businesses, to provide diverse internship opportunities for young people. Tommy said, "Internships include conducting cat education activities at schools or centers, assisting with event preparation, venue setup, and introducing products to customers, allowing young people to adapt to different environments, improve their communication skills, and put what they've learned into practice in the community."
During the implementation of the program, Tommy gained a deep understanding of how teenagers navigate the challenges of pet care. The most memorable aspect was recruiting mentors and partner organizations within limited time and resources. Tommy shared, "In the early stages of the program, some young people were anxious about the internships. We had to gradually build trust through psychological counseling, group discussions, and mentorship." Tommy also noted the challenges of finding partner organizations: "Community organizations had reservations about cats entering their service spaces. We had to communicate from an educational perspective and arrange demonstration activities to ultimately gain their support."
Practical experience can help you get a job in the pet industry.
21-year-old A-Lin (pseudonym), who lives in a subdivided flat, hopes to learn more practical cat care knowledge through the program and exchange and grow with like-minded people. During her participation in the program, A-Lin had the opportunity to intern at a cat cafe: "This not only expanded my social circle but also gave me practical experience in related care and customer service, enhancing my confidence and competitiveness in my future career in the pet industry." A-Lin is about to complete her training, and she hopes to have the opportunity to join a cat rescue organization after her internship to promote cat welfare and let more people know how to responsibly care for their pets.
Tommy indicated that the program is scheduled to begin in February and is expected to be completed in July. The team will continue to promote cat education activities in the community, reaching a wider range of groups, including non-Chinese speaking youth and newly arrived youth. Advanced skills courses such as cat death education and animal-assisted therapy will be added to cultivate diverse professional abilities in young people. The organization's long-term plan is to establish a youth employment platform to provide cat-related job opportunities for trained youth. Some youth will also have the opportunity to be employed in various positions at the organization's "Cat Sharing Space," and will collaborate with other community organizations or businesses through the platform to organize cat education or activity projects, serving as educational activity assistants, hosts, etc.
