Basic information about the project
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Objectives:
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To provide labor training and job placements for disadvantaged and at-risk youth
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Target groups:
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200 disadvantaged and unemployed young people between the ages of 18 and 21
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Location:
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Departments of Tolima and La Guajira in Colombia
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Duration:
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June 2007- July 2009 (2 years)
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Local partner:
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More info:
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This two-year project aims to tackle the high levels of poverty and unemployment among disadvantaged youth in Colombia, by providing job training and placement for young people at risk. The project is implemented jointly by the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation (FCYF) and its local partner organization in Colombia, Fundación Empresarios por la Educación (ExE). The project is supported by funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland to the development cooperation projects of NGOs.
Objectives
The long-term development objective is to improve the employability of poor and at-risk young people in Colombia, by providing them with high quality training in information technology skills, life and entrepreneurial skills and with job placement services. The direct objective of the project is to provide labor training for 200 disadvantaged youth and to assist them in securing employment.
Target group/beneficiaries
The direct target group of the project is 200 young people (aged 18-21), who come from the low-income families, are unemployed and have or are in the process of completing their secondary school education. Geographically the project will concentrate in the administrative departments of La Guajira and Tolima. The special emphasis is on disadvantaged young women. The project will also benefit 8 secondary schools in the areas of implementation. Indirectly the project will benefit 30 adult mentors, who will be trained in the project, as well as at least 3 family members of each youth participants (a total of 600), by providing family income.
Implementation/Results
The project is implemented through different training phases and components: technical component (training in IT skills); life skills component; entrepreneurship component (business plans, laws, etc.); internship and job placement.
As a result of the project:
Graduated youth have greater IT skills, are more skilled in creative thinking, problem solving and decision making; at least a quarter of those graduated are employed in jobs with decent wages and are able to use their IT skills; employers are satisfied with the interns and graduates employed; government agencies integrate elements of this model into youth employment related policies.
For more information on the project, please click here (link to the project plan)
