Salesian San José Center starts project to improve school to admit more students

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian San José Center, located in the city of Salta, Argentina, has trained more than 200 youth each year in vocational skills since the center opened eight years ago. Given its success, applications for enrollment are now more than the center can accommodate. In response, the center has launched a school improvement project to expand and provide new features for classrooms and laboratories. The goal is to accommodate more students and improve the quality of training.

Pedro Augusto Martinez, director, said, “The knowledge acquired is remarkable, both technically and in human terms. The young people are grateful and continue to be trained in the different technical specialties that the center offers them.”

Students can take courses in assembly of domestic electrical systems and sanitary installations, electricity, restoring and painting on construction sites, construction for walls and ceilings in plasterboard, and installing and designing systems for the supply of electricity through solar photovoltaic energy. The programs are recognized by the Ministry of Education.

A Salesian missionary said, “The impact of Salesian vocational training centers on our young people is well known. In many cases, they manage to complete their secondary education at the centers. Then through vocational training, they are given a real opportunity for personal and professional development, breaking the cycle of poverty and opening the door to a future with greater opportunities.”

The Salesian Argentina North Province has 17 vocational training centers that are providing youth with job skills and helping them enter the labor market, which in turn helps their economic prospects and that of their families.

More than a quarter of the people in Argentina live in conditions of poverty with no formal employment and poor-quality education, according to the World Bank. The country’s high school dropout rate is close to 37% and youth account for a third of those unemployed. Almost 12% of children ages 5-17 are working instead of being in school and 20% need government assistance. Many face malnutrition, a lack of clean water and sewage, and inadequate housing.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Argentina – Changing the lives of young people through vocational training

Salesian Missions – Argentina

World Bank – Argentina