A chat with Tionne Young: building skills, confidence and pathways through The ASE Group

Tionne Young is the Co-Founder and General Manager of The ASE Group, where she leads the delivery of innovative life skills, entrepreneurship and employment programs that empower young Australians to thrive. 

CoAct was thrilled to have Tionne attend our inaugural Youth Forum recently, where she joined our panel discussion and design thinking workshop that followed. The panel helped ground the day in lived experience and real insights. It also helped surface practical ideas and real tensions in youth employment, which then informed the group design work across the rest of the day. 

A big part of what Tionne brought to the panel was her view on why some young people disengage from traditional employment pathways, and how entrepreneurship can build skills that employers value. We sat down with her for a quick interview to learn more. 

Starting out: a small-town kid with big curiosity 

CoAct: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey? 

Tionne: I grew up in a small town. After I finished high school, I did a lot of travelling. That’s where I learnt important “soft skills” like communication, problem solving, and adapting under pressure. 

It really hit me that these skills matter a lot, but I didn’t learn them from a textbook. I didn’t learn them in a classroom either. 

How The ASE Group was born 

CoAct: How did ASE begin? 

Tionne: A couple of friends and I started running youth workshops. We taught topics that we wanted to learn too. Things like how to buy a house, how to change a tyre, how to start a business, or how to make a logo. 

It worked. We saw young people really loved learning things that solved a real problem they had. 

From there, it grew. We started delivering programs in thousands of schools across Australia, and we still run those programs. We also run adult programs now as well. 

What ASE offers 

CoAct: What do you offer, in simple terms? 

Tionne: We run innovative entrepreneurship and employment programs for Aussies of any age. The focus is on practical skills people can use straight away, plus the human skills that help you keep going when things change. 

For young people, that might look like workshops that build confidence and capability through real-life topics. For adults, it can mean learning new ways to work, lead, and create opportunities. 

What adults and decision makers should understand 

CoAct: What would you want adults or decision makers to better understand about young people right now? 

Tionne: A lot of the time, young people already have the interest. But they don’t always get asked. 

There’s so much value in taking an extra 10 minutes to ask about their life. Find out what they’re curious about and what they care about. When you do that, they want to come on the journey. They want to help solve problems. They feel empowered and valued. 

What stood out at CoAct’s Youth Forum 

CoAct: What conversations from CoAct’s Youth Forum stood out to you? 

Tionne: I loved listening. I also loved seeing people pause and ask, “Do I have any bias about this?” and “What are we missing?” before jumping to solutions. 

I saw some very creative, youth-centred ideas. One was, “How could we bring something like Snapchat streaks into the workplace?” Another was, “How can workplaces learn from young people, instead of young people always taking orders?” 

It was great to see the openness in the room and the willingness to learn from young people. 

Events like the CoAct Youth Forum are really important. For us to connect with our peers, and to think and design and create, to laugh and to cry and rant. To really gear up for battle and take on these issues together. 

What gives hope for youth employment 

CoAct: What gives you hope about the future of youth employment? 

Tionne: Rooms like this. People who put in the effort to run events like this, and people who show up. 

These spaces matter. Not just to connect with peers, but to think, design, create, and be honest about what’s hard. Then we can take on the problem together. 

Advice for a young person who feels stuck 

CoAct: What advice would you give to a young person who feels stuck right now? 

Tionne: Try as many different things as you can. This is the youngest you’ll ever be. 

Travel, get a job, start a business, ask your neighbour if you can mow their lawn. Learn communication. Learn people skills. You never know where it might take you. If you build a strong foundation of soft skills and human skills, you’ll be amazed at what you can do with it. 

Key takeaways from Tionne’s perspective 

• Start with real life: People engage more when learning helps solve a problem they actually have. 

• Ask, then design: Young people often have ideas and motivation, but they need adults to make time to listen. 

• Entrepreneurship builds employability: Starting something small (even a simple side job) builds communication, problem solving and adaptability, which transfer into any workplace. 

• Create spaces for honesty and creativity: Youth employment improves faster when we design together, check our biases, and stay open to new ways of working. 

Thanks again to Tionne for joining CoAct’s inaugural Youth Forum and sharing her lived experience and practical insights. 

Head to ASE’s website to learn more about the amazing work they’re doing.  

For young people looking for support on their journey into work, education or training, CoAct can help. Contact us to find out more.