Order & donate via

Support our projects in Ecuador

Background – El Salvador is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. From 1980 to 1991 a ruinous civil war raged, resulting in thousands of deaths and causing destruction running into the billions. Social problems have continued to blight the country right up until the present day. There is an enormous gulf between rich and poor. Lack of prospects have led many young people from the excluded classes into criminality. This is mainly due that basic vocational education on offer has serious limitations. Just a small minority of those who are interested have access to it. Particularly in the rural areas, there are hardly any opportunities. In addition, the curriculum is not sufficiently oriented towards the labour market. Less than one third of the graduates do find employment after the completion of their training.
 
The project – The goal of the project is to ensure that by 2008, 3.500 youths and young adults will have been given opportunities for career-oriented vocational training that enables them to make the step up into gainful employment. In order to take the varying levels into account, the vocational training takes place in modules. The courses last from three to six months and will be offered in the following vocational areas: bricklayer, bricklayer foreman, sewing machine mechanic, refrigeration and air conditioning technician, welder or cook. The principal target groups are the unemployed, as well as socially disadvantaged women and men, primarily from the rural districts, who, because they lack vocational qualifications, have very limited opportunities for gainful employment. Moreover, young men without any career prospects are at risk of being recruited by criminal gangs. This is exactly what the project aims to pre-empt.

The courses are being run by local partners. Swisscontact is providing them with technical and organizational support, as well as support in quality control. SMEs that offer additional positions for young people receive technical support in training matters. As a result, the national vocational education system has been significantly strengthened and more opportunities for young people in the labour market created. The project thus provides a blueprint for the reduction of poverty and criminality, two long-term consequences of El Salvador’s civil war.

Our donation account

BW Bank 600 501 01
Account 2234 111

We kindly ask you to use the project title as reference on your money transfer form. We will be pleased to issue a donation receipt. Therefore send us an E-Mail with your contact details to the address germany [at] swisscontact.net

Here you can read more about the different possibilities to support Swisscontact Germany.