For many years, Salesian missionaries have been working to bring hope, particularly to poor youth in South Africa. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, Salesian missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute in Cape Town, the second most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa, has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth. Through the Institute’s Youth Projects program, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services in an effort to meet the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

For the last four years, one of the Salesian Institute’s Youth Projects called the Waves of Change has been assisting unemployed youth in finding work in the fishing industry. Requiring minimal levels of education, jobs in the fishing industry can provide a significant income, a stable career path and extensive travel opportunities for poor youth. Some youth employed through the project have had the opportunity to travel as far as Antarctica.

“The fishing industry offers youth who may not have had the opportunity for extensive education to find a long-term stable career path in a field they might not otherwise have access to,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The Waves of Change project is able to offer high-quality employees to the fishing industry while providing its students meaningful employment.”

The Waves of Change project offers a compulsory five-day life skills course after which, students who successfully complete the course are awarded financial assistance towards obtaining the required certification for work in the fishing industry through the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). During the 2013 school year, more than 300 youth received education and life skills training through this program. Nearly 75 percent have already been placed into jobs within the fishing industry.

Recently, Salesian missionaries who oversee the project have been able to establish partnerships with training providers such as STC Table Bay, the Academy of Maritime Medicine and Pulse College, all of which offer free training and assistance to Salesian students. In addition, missionaries have continued to nurture long standing partnerships with Sea Harvest, Premier Fishing, the Oceana Group and others that hire graduates of the project.

“Partnerships with employers are a critical part of the Waves of Change project in order to help youth make a smooth transition from the classroom into the workforce,” adds Fr. Hyde.

The Salesian Institute’s Youth Projects consist of five main programs that include the Waves of Change project. In addition, the Institute provides an outreach program, a hostel for homeless youth, a learn-to-live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse group of individuals, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

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Sources:

Salesian Institute Youth Projects

UNICEF – South Africa

The post SOUTH AFRICA: Waves of Change Project Connects Disadvantaged Youth to Stable Employment in the Fishing Industry first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries have been working to bring hope, particularly to poor youth in South Africa. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, Salesian missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth in Cape Town, the second most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Through the Institute’s Youth Projects program, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services in an effort to meet the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Institute’s Youth Employment Skills (YES) project provides training and job placement assistance to 320 disadvantaged, unemployed youth each year. Young people between the ages of 18 and 26 complete an intensive three-week life skills course before undergoing a five-week employment skills course. Students are taught employment skills in much needed industry sectors including bricklaying, tiling and laminated flooring, computer maintenance, computer literacy and office management. The Institute’s goal is to place every graduate into a job once courses have been completed. More than 80 percent of graduates have found employment to date.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in South Africa know the local economy and are able to tailor educational programs to ensure the best employment opportunities for students after they graduate,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The addition of life skills training helps students make good life choices and be better employees.”

Most recently, the project has secured a partnership with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to ensure ongoing employment opportunities for youth in the program. To date, more than 100 youth have initiated their work experience at KFC. Because of the growing local demand for employment skills training, the YES project fills to capacity within a few hours of registration opening. As a result, Salesian staff are looking for avenues to expand that can offer additional employment training and job opportunities.

“The YES project has been very successful and continues to grow. The training is a win-win for the local economy and the students. Students receive the employment training they need to lead productive lives while employers gain access to highly skilled employees,” adds Fr. Hyde.

The Salesian Institute’s Youth Projects consist of five main programs that include the YES project. In addition, there is an outreach program, a hostel for homeless youth, a learn-to-live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse group of individuals, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

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Sources:

Salesian Institute Youth Projects

UNICEF – South Africa

The post SOUTH AFRICA: Salesian YES Project Provides Employment Opportunities to More than 300 Youth Each Year first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, the Salesians have a long history of affecting change in the country.

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth in Cape Town, the second most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Through the Institute’s Youth Projects program, Salesians provide shelter, education and workforce development services, meeting the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

“Salesians living and working in South Africa tailor programs to specifically meet the needs of youth in the local communities they serve,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Homeless and hungry youth are not able to focus on educational pursuits or reach their full potential until their most basic needs are met.”

The Institute’s Youth Projects consist of five main programs – an outreach program, a hostel for homeless youth, a learn-to-live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse team, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

The Institute’s outreach program functions as a drop-in center working to build relationships with youth who live on the street or in government-built townships in the southeast of Cape Town, called the Cape Flats. Outreach workers provide support and assistance to close to 125 youth each month whose lives are often characterized by drugs, gangs, violence and abuse. Youth are able to access counseling, drug awareness and prevention programs, educational services and job assistance.

For those in need of additional care, a youth hostel accommodates 24 males between the ages of 18 and 26 who would not otherwise be able to access the Institute’s two workforce development programs. In addition to offering formal education, youth are invited to participate in informal life skills training and recreational activities, which help them focus on their studies and plan for their futures. Once training courses have been completed, job placement officers assist students in finding and retaining employment. Each year the hostel serves more than 60 young men.

The Learn-to-Live education program is a school designed specifically for vulnerable and at-risk children and youth. Recognized as an independent school by the Western Cape Education Department, the program provides basic education and skills training for youth at-risk who, for a variety of socio-economic reasons, are not able to succeed in mainstream schools. The school offers various levels of education for 13 to 19 year old students. All students participate in academic classes and skills workshops and receive a cooked meal each day. Demand for the program is high and 100 youth from the local communities and shelters in and around Cape Town access the program each day.

As part of the Learn-to-Live program, close to 40 youth over the age of 16 attend technical skills training workshops each day where they are taught basic skills in welding, wood and leather craft as well as panel beating. The items they create are sold at local craft markets. Over the past three years, the program has secured partnerships with construction and engineering firms that employ youth from the program.

“Education is a direct path out of poverty, and once youth are able to enter a stable household and have their basic needs met, they are able to excel in school and lead a more productive life,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources

Salesian Institute Youth Projects

UNICEF – South Africa

The post SOUTH AFRICA: Salesian Institute’s Youth Projects Provide Safety, Shelter and Education for Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.