The First Professional Experience program provided internships and hands-on work experience to its participants who were placed into a business where they worked for up to four months. Each participant was accompanied by a professional tutor who motivated them and guided their professional development and specialized training within the company. Many of the most well-known companies in the hospitality and tourism industries participated in the program including Meliá Hotels International, Hilton Madrid Airport, Grupo Vips, Parques Reunidos, KFC and the Accenture Foundation.

Javier Llorente, president of the Pinardi Foundation, noted that the program has proved to be an effective way of ending youth unemployment. He also explained that the foundation began by focusing its efforts on students and their individual goals and educational needs and then matched them with the most suitable company.

Pedro Boada, managing director of JP Morgan in Spain, spoke at the presentation of the program about how the successful results demonstrate that collaboration between companies and social organizations ensures youth have access to a better future. He also noted that the program will help to provide better growth prospects for Spain.

Hard hit by the current economic troubles in Europe, Spain now has the greatest inequality of the 27 countries of the European Union. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of Spanish workers are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. One in five citizens are living below the poverty line and poor youth with too few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment.

“With so many young people out of work and facing conditions of poverty in Spain, it is vital for Salesian workforce development programs to respond to market demand,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students in these programs have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment and escape poverty.”

Since its inception in 2001, the Pinardi Federation has been developing programs to help poor youth between the ages of 12 and 16 and is currently operating close to 40 projects aiding more than 2,000 youth. Projects focus on promoting the quality of children’s lives, helping youth retain employment and supporting migrants through family mediation. Other community projects work to raise awareness of volunteerism.

For its youth employment projects, the Pinardi Federation develops training programs that collaborate directly with the business sector so that students learn marketable skills and make an easier transition from coursework into employment. It encourages the business community to take an active role in program development as well as meeting with students to help shape standards and students’ academic and social development, ensuring greater opportunities for employment after graduation.

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – First Job, more than just an opportunity

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian-run Pinardi Federation’s First Professional Experience Program Placed Close to 75 Percent of its Participants into Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Road to Life program was started by the Salesian International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) and is co-financed by the European Union. A recent theater production was performed by 10 participants in the program who shared their stories in front of an audience of more than 60 youth between the ages of 10 and 15. By performing their stories, these former street children are able to overcome the trauma they have suffered in the past.

“At-risk children, teenagers and young adults across Angola are achieving in the classroom and through alternative offerings like The Road to Life program,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal is to have youth participate in programs that promote social inclusion, emotional development and access to education.”

The Road to Life program helps young people share their stories including who they are, where they come from and how they have achieved success in their lives. The stories are performed as songs, plays, poems or other creative outlets chosen by each participant. By performing their stories, participants are aided in their recovery while helping to encourage other young people to succeed. Marco, one of The Road to Life participants, read a poem he had written about his experience living on the streets and his success finding shelter and education at a Salesian center resulting in renewed hope for a better life.

Five other participants put on a collaborative play about their past experiences, the challenges they have overcome and their hopes for the future. The play focused on their educational pursuits, the job training they have received and the support from Salesian missionaries, volunteers and educators from VIS.

Casa Magone provides shelter and a safe place for youth coming in off the streets. Salesian missionaries at the shelter work to meet the basic needs of the youth who live there while helping them access counseling and education and later job training and stable employment.

“Our programs for street youth go beyond providing shelter and meeting basic needs,” says Fr. Hyde. “Salesian centers like Casa Magone provide a stable, nurturing environment that enables former street youth to access education and find a way out of poverty.”

The people of Angola are still recovering from a civil war that ended 13 years ago. During the war, educational disparities were widespread but recent reforms have paved the way for more youth to have better access to education and social equality. According to UNICEF, more than 36 percent of the population lives in poverty. In addition, more than one in 10 children under the age of 14 has lost one or both parents and 43,000 are separated from their families. As a result, nearly a third of these youth are working and child trafficking has been an emerging problem in the country.

With a 67 percent illiteracy rate, the educational opportunities provided by Salesian programs can be truly life changing. Through these programs, both youth and adults have access to schools and educational programs. Classes range from simple lessons in reading and writing for adults in refugee camps to shelter and education for street children. Students are also able to access life skills training, workforce development opportunities and nutritional programs.

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Sources:

ANS – Angola – “Testemunarte” another initiative to take the children from the streets

UNICEF – Angola

The post ANGOLA: New Performing Arts Program Helps Street Youth Tell their Stories first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Started in October 2014 and continuing to September 2015, the project is financially supported by the Spanish Institute for Women through the European Economic Area under a memorandum of understanding signed by representatives from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Spain. Salesian missionaries working across six Salesian institutions (Salesians of Saint Jordi, the Pinardi Federation of Social Platforms, the Valsé Foundation, the Valponasca Association, Collectiu Popular and the Mornese Foundation) are participating in this project.

For close to 15 years, the State Coordination of the Salesian Social Platforms, through its member institutions, has been developing women empowerment and workforce development programs aimed specifically at women in vulnerable situations. In many instances, the women who participate in the programs are immigrants with little means of finding and retaining employment in their new country. Salesian missionaries are currently operating 19 programs in 10 Spanish provinces aimed at helping women break the cycle of poverty. These programs, supported by more than 130 professionals and volunteers, have helped 1,168 women gain new skills and find employment.

“Salesian missionaries care about the growth and development of women in the communities they serve,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Women are the backbone of the family structure and by providing women necessary education, training skills and support, families are made stronger. Social outreach programs, child care support and job training allow women to work at every level of production and management jobs while supporting and keeping their families intact.”

Women engaged in the Empodera-T project are assessed for their current skill level and interest. They participate in both classroom and hands-on training. In addition, they receive assistance with resume writing, interviewing skills and finding and retaining employment. Wrap-around services that provide child care, nutritional assistance and counseling are also provided.

Spain, which has been hit hard by the current economic troubles in Europe, now has the greatest inequality of the 27 countries of the European Union. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of Spanish workers are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. One in five citizens are living below the poverty line. Poor youth with too few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment.

Salesian missionaries in Spain have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

“We want women to succeed in the workforce,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian programs have always grown and adapted their programs to best fit the needs of the communities in which they serve whether through education, technical training or social development programs that help women gain the confidence, strength and perseverance to set goals in life and achieve them.”

Sources

ANS – Spain – “Empodera-T”

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: More Than 1,100 Women Gain Job Skills and Employment Opportunities through Salesian Initiatives first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in Spain have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

A Salesian program started in 2012 is working to address the needs of young men who have aged out of residential youth programs, many of whom are left without resources and little support and direction for the future. For these young people, it can be difficult to find stable employment and a place to live and many do not have an existing or adequate social network to offer them the support they need to live life fully as an adult.

In southern Spain, the Don Bosco Foundation in Cordoba provides support for close to 50 young men. The Foundation’s program includes housing, socio-educational services and workforce development.

“The program focuses on 18 year old youth who were once residents within Spain’s centers for minors and who, upon leaving there, did not have any further support to live with dignity,” says Antonio Moriana, director of Don Bosco Foundation Cordoba. “These young people, who are often immigrants, are now provided support that includes education, health, housing and the use of other resources in the city.”

Young men in the program have several options to help them transition out of residential programs for youth, including moving into a shared apartment, a local hostel or a group home managed in collaboration with Caritas, the international network of charitable organizations of the Catholic Church. Included in the program is a range of support services, including assistance preparing and applying for work. The young men are able to hone their business and professional skills in a supportive environment with other young men in similar situations and under the supervision of adult mentors who provide guidance during the transition into adulthood.

Don Bosco Foundation also offers a residential program for younger children aged eight to 17 that provides a group home environment for up to 24 youth. The focus is on building an alternative home environment for each child that is structured and supportive. Youth in this residential program attend school and have the opportunity to engage in social activities that help them transition from their teen years into adulthood. Older youth attending high school are offered pre-employment training, help applying for internships and access to employment placement agencies.

“At the Foundation, we are helping youth both in a group setting but also with their individual needs, including working on personal and educational skills so they are able to move forward with higher levels of school studies, carry out apprenticeships and apply for work,” adds Moriana.

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Sources

ANS – Spain – New opportunities for young people not living in a family

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian Program Helps Youth Without Families Who Have Outgrown Available Services first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to the World Bank, Slovakia’s primarily manufacturing-centered economy, focused on exports, has allowed the country to weather the post-2008 global economic crisis better than most in the European Union. The World Bank also notes that while most families living in the country are generally prosperous, close to 11 percent are living below the poverty line and for many of those, living conditions worsened significantly in the years following the global economic crisis. The country has an unemployment rate of  just over 13 percent and one third of all those unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 24.

Salesians in Slovakia are working to educate youth while providing support for their families at Center Mamateyoya in the city of Bratislava in the western part of the country. Here, Salesians aim to develop students’ problem solving and team working skills while offering educational supports such as after-school tutoring.

The Center is run by more than 70 volunteers from local high schools and the local university in addition to the Salesian staff. Programs are designed for three age groups, children under the age of 16, youth 16 to 27 years old and families. Recreational activities are also available through the Center such as football, basketball, hockey, art, music, theater, photography and other activities that help youth foster both team building and individual skills.

“Students learn in a variety of ways,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through team sports and other social activities, students can use their free-time productively while learning to rely on others, make friends and safely explore interests outside of school.”

Weekly peer groups are offered and serve as a place where youth can come to discuss their problems, ask questions about troubling issues, receive advice and support from others and discuss current topics of interest. The aim of the group is to provide social support while encouraging personal growth for the young people involved. Tutoring is also offered each week, staffed by both volunteers and professional teachers who provide the skills and resources necessary to improve student’s grades.

A parent center is available three days a week and provides programs that encourage parents in their own educational pursuits as well as supporting them in developing their parenting skills. Topics of discussion have ranged from effective parenting skills, rewards vs. punishments and coping with a child’s anger. Also available to parents of preschool aged children is a playground where the young children can engage in crafts, dancing, singing and puppet theatre, daily.

“Parent support is very important for the families we serve,” adds Fr. Hyde. “It helps parents to focus on their own individual needs which could be advancing their own education to help them better support their families in the future or receiving support and advice from other parents to help tackle parenting issues almost all parents face.”

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Sources

Salesian Center Mamateyova

World Bank – Slovakia

The post SLOVAKIA: Salesian Program Provides Tutoring, Peer Support to Help Poor Youth Achieve first appeared on MissionNewswire.

As it released its Global Employment Trends for Youth: 2011 Update, the International Labor Organization (ILO) notes that the recent global economic crisis led to a “substantial” increase in youth unemployment rates, reversing earlier favorable trends over the past decade.

At the peak of the crisis period in 2009, the global youth unemployment rate saw its largest annual increase on record, rising from 11.8 per cent to 12.7 per cent between 2008 and 2009 – an unprecedented increase of 4.5 million unemployed youth worldwide.

The average increase of the pre-crisis period (1997-2007) was less than 100,000 persons per year.

The report says the absolute number of unemployed youth fell slightly since its peak in 2009 – from 75.8 million to 75.1 million in late 2010, a drop of 12.7 per cent – and is expected to decline to 74.6 million in 2011, or 12.6 per cent.

However, this is due more to youth withdrawing from the labor market, rather than finding jobs. This is especially true in the developed economies and the European Union region.

The agency warns of a “scarred” generation of young workers and growing frustration amid millions of youth worldwide who are facing a dangerous mix of high unemployment, increased inactivity and precarious work.

If youth unemployment were examined alone, states the report, one might wrongly guess that young people in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are doing well compared to the developed economies, when in fact the high employment-to-population ratios of youth in the poorest regions mean the poor have no choice but work.

“There are by far more young people around the world that are stuck in circumstances of working poverty than are without work or looking for work,” the report points out.

It also notes that the collective frustration among youth has been a contributing factor to protest movements around the world this year, as it becomes increasingly difficult for young people to find anything other than part-time and temporary work.

It adds that the “bad luck of the generation entering the labor market in the years of the Great Recession brings not only current discomfort from unemployment, under-employment and the stress of social hazards associated with joblessness and prolonged inactivity, but also possible longer-term consequences in terms of lower future wages and distrust of the political and economic system.”

“These new statistics reflect the frustration and anger that millions of youth around the world are feeling,” said José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, executive director of the ILO Employment Sector.

He noted that governments are struggling to find innovative solutions through labor market interventions such as addressing skills mismatches, job search support, entrepreneurship training and subsidies to hiring.

“These measures can make a difference, but ultimately more jobs must come from measures beyond the labor market that aim to remove obstacles to growth recovery such as accelerating the repair of the financial system, bank restructuring and recapitalization to re-launch credit to small- and medium-sized enterprises, and real progress in global demand rebalancing,” he said.

The report offers a series of policy measures for promoting youth employment, including developing an integrated strategy for growth and job creation with a focus on young people as well as improving the quality of jobs and investing in the quality of education and training.

Perhaps most important of all, according to the report, is to pursue financial and macroeconomic policies that aim to remove obstacles to economic recovery.

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SPECIAL NOTE: The Salesians are widely regarded as the world’s largest provider of technical and vocational training, operating in some of the most remote and poor places on the planet.

The post UN REPORT: World’s Youth Facing Worsening Jobs Crisis first appeared on MissionNewswire.