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.

Recently, the Atresmedia Foundation, an organization dedicated to developing projects to support children and adults with disabilities, and the Salesian-run Pinardi Federation signed an agreement to collaborate on a training program for students of Project Pro, a school for people with visual disabilities. Project Pro was established in 2010 by the Atresmedia Foundation to help provide training and workforce development services for people with visual disabilities so they could more easily transition from the classroom into employment.

For many youth with disabilities, access to education is limited and the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty is almost nonexistent. UNICEF notes in its State of the Worlds Children 2013: Children with Disabilities report that globally, close to 61 percent of boys finish school but for boys with disabilities that number drops to 51 percent. For girls, 53 percent finish school but among those living with a disability, only 42 percent finish their education.

UNICEF notes that studies across countries show a strong link between poverty and disability, which in turn is linked to gender, health and employment issues. UNICEF’s report further suggests that inclusion in mainstream schools and educational settings is usually most appropriate for children with disabilities, and when teachers and personnel are trained to consider disability-related issues, they look upon inclusion of children with disabilities more positively.

Through the new Atresmedia and Pinardi Foundation collaborative training program, Project Pro students will have access to mentoring services and an internship at the Pinardi Federation. Students will be able to put the skills they have learned into practice. The internships are for a maximum of forty hours per week and last two months.

“Youth living in poverty are among the least likely to have access to educational programs that provide the skills necessary to lead stable productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Children living in poverty with a disability are even less likely to attend school when compared to their peers. Salesians are working to ensure that access to education and workforce development services are afforded to every child no matter their situation.”

Since its inception in 2001, the Salesian 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.

“Youth with disabilities have the same ability to achieve as their peers, if given the opportunity,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The Pinardi Federation is working to make sure that all students have access to the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the social, cultural and economic vitality of their communities.”

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Sources

ANS – Spain – Training for the visually disabled; agreement between “Atresmedia” and the Pinardi Federation

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities

World Bank – Spain

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Since its inception in 2001, the Salesian 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.

At the end of June, the Pinardi Federation’s third Hilton Hopes Project came to a close. The project, which has graduated 20 young people, provides training and real life work experience in the hotel management industry. Students attend four months of intensive collaborative training through the Pinardi Salesian Center and the Hotel Hilton-Madrid Airport.

Started three years ago, the Hilton Hopes Project is supported by the United States Embassy in Madrid and the Vatel International School of Hotel Management and Tourism. The goal is to harness the talents of young people living in poverty by providing them the opportunity to learn employable skills and gain self-confidence through their first employment experience.

“The aim of the hotel in recent months had been to ensure that the young people in the program rose to the challenge and improved their self-esteem,” says Íñigo Arruti, director of the Hilton. “The Hilton has also developed thanks to these young people and this program.”

The Salesian Pinardi Federation specializes in developing 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 the students to help shape standards and the students’ academic and social development, ensuring greater opportunities for employment after graduation.

Two of the students that graduated from the Hilton Hopes Project in June have already received employment offers. One student will be selected by Vatel to study for three years at its School of Hotel Management. To date, more than 75 percent of the students attending coursework through the project have found stable employment.

“With so many young people out of work and facing conditions of poverty in Spain, it is important that Salesian workforce development programs respond to the 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.”

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – Work Preparation Programme for young people by the Hilton Hotel and the Salesian Social Services

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian Partnership with Hilton Hotel Provides Training, Work Experience and Hope for Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since its inception in 2001, the Salesian 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.

Recently, the Pinardi Federation and Kyocera Document Solutions España SA, have come together in a collaboration to feed youth in Spain’s capital city, Madrid. Thanks to this program, more than 50 youth who are participating in socio-educational programs at a Salesian Center in Parla, Madrid are receiving a free afternoon meal.

For Kyocera, the initiative is part of a corporate social responsibility plan that aims to make employees aware of the needs of children while encouraging them to offer their support. One of many projects Kyocera has worked on with the Pinardi Federation, this project has more than 10 Kyocera staff volunteering to collect donated food from company employees and then deliver it to Parla’s Salesian Center each month.

The afternoon meal offered to each child every afternoon helps to combat the rampant poverty that has affected so many families in Madrid. For some, this is the only balanced meal they receive each day and the hope is that it will give them the energy they need for study and play. The project also aims to educate young people on the importance of nutrition and a balanced healthy diet.

“For many families, their economic situations are in decline in Madrid,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Even those families who were once in the middle class are seeing the effects of poverty. Youth in the program are suffering from a lack of food and nutrition, and as a result are often tired and unable to focus. The food aids the families in caring for their children and in helping youth be better prepared for their activities and lessons.”

The Pinardi Federation is also working to meet the needs of families that are struggling to pay rent, mortgages, utility bills, school fees and food bills. The organization has set up scholarships to help cover the costs of transportation and education materials for youth to enable them to continue in their pursuit of higher or professional education.

“Because Salesians are working directly with families in their local communities, they are able to identify the most pressing needs and then create programs to meet those needs, such as assisting youth continue their education and social development,” adds Fr. Hyde.

These new initiatives are part of a larger program that the Pinardi Federation has developed which includes physical education classes, recreational activities, sports programs, family support and psychological counseling.

Sources

ANS – Spain – Programmes to improve nutrition among young people

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: New Initiatives Help Youth in Need through Scholarships and Nutrition Program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Spain has been hit hard by the current economic troubles in Europe and 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.

The Salesians have recruited human resources professionals to volunteer for this initiative with 14 volunteers currently coaching youth in the program. The involvement and experience of these professionals, who work as a team with the Salesian staff who know the students and have witnessed first hand their educational and personal growth, has been very effective in helping youth find employment.

“This program is allowing young students to learn necessary life and business skills to be better equipped to find work in the business sector,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This program is particularly relevant at this time given the high unemployment rate in Spain. Youth need to develop the best skills they possibly can to compete in the job market.”

The coaching program focuses on helping youth through the selection and interview process of finding work. Youth are often insecure and unsure of themselves and how to best present their education, skills and experience during the interview process. To better help them prepare, youth undergo interview scenarios that are recorded and analyzed at an individual level so they can work to develop the necessary skills for succeeding in the selection process.

While the main focus is on skill building for youth, the Pinardi Federation also works to evolve the program platform and coaching techniques in order to keep current as labor markets’ focus and needs change. In this way, they can ensure the delivery of the highest quality assistance to youth who find it a challenge to secure employment.

Started in 2001, the Pinardi Federation has several programs focused on assisting poor youth to develop life and work skills. Currently, the organization has close to 40 projects aiding more than 2,000 youth. They range from promoting the quality of children’s lives, helping youth fit into jobs and supporting migrants through family mediation to community projects preparing for and raising awareness of volunteer activity.

“We want youth to succeed,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The Salesians have always grown and adapted their programs to best fit the needs of youth just as they continue to do at the Pinardi Federation.”

Sources

ANS – Spain – Fourth coaching programme for fitting into work and society

World Bank – Spain

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