Pablo Ulises Rodríguez Hernández

Coordinator of the Youth Project of the AVSI Foundation

The JuventudES project, an initiative of Fondazione AVSI and Junior Achievement México, has been co-financed by the European Union and has been running since 2021. This program is being developed in the states of Querétaro, Guanajuato and Yucatán, with the aim of empowering young people through education and support in their entry and permanence in the world of work. JuventudES seeks to provide tools and opportunities that allow young people to reach their full potential and actively contribute to the sustainable development of their communities; through a mechanism for employability in formal and decent jobs.

The central component of the project is the design and implementation of a Training and Support Model (MFA) for the labor insertion of young people who have fallen behind in education, are graduating from technical studies, or have been unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic. This model has been designed by adapting the Guide to the labor insertion of young people that AVSI developed in Peru, together with Junior Achievement, which collaborated by innovating content and adapting it to the Mexican context. All this adaptation was carried out based on a baseline study on the needs of young people and companies in the two strategic poles of Mexico: South-Southeast and Center-Bajío.

The MFA includes a training course through modules focused on the development of socio-emotional, work-related, basic technical and professional skills. At the end of this training course, it is complemented by personalized support that allows the young person to identify goals in their life plan and apply them to vacancies that meet their expectations, evaluating the process and iterating as necessary.

However, this model and others developed by civil society organizations (CSOs) in Mexico and other Latin American countries require coordination strategies for their effective operation. It is essential to establish links with young people as the main beneficiary population and to have the support of academic institutions, job training centers, government departments, autonomous organizations, CSOs and representatives of the private sector.

This is why the JuventudES project has contemplated the establishment of an Intersectoral Working Group (MTI). This MTI aims to create a space for dialogue and coordination between strategic development actors in each territory. Through this collaborative space, initiatives, pilot projects and programs can be launched that connect the academic world with the world of work, thus promoting access to decent jobs that respect human rights and contribute to the permanence of developed talent by supporting life and financial plans. In addition, this MTI is aimed at integrating the perspective of youth, ensuring that the voices and needs of young people are heard and addressed in the design and implementation of policies and programs that impact their development and employment opportunities.

At JuventudES, from 2022 to 2024 we have managed to establish three MTIs, one in each state where we operate. These roundtables have facilitated the creation of synergies with strategic actors and allowed the transfer of capacities to the institutions of the territories. This collaboration has not only strengthened institutional relations, but has also generated key elements for the sustainability of our actions.

In Guanajuato, efforts have focused on generating research that updates the understanding of youth expectations in relation to the world of work, as well as identifying the changing needs of the work environment that affect access to formal and decent jobs. A youth employability survey was conducted in collaboration with the Citizen Observatory of León and the local node of the Alliance of Youth with Decent Work (AJTD). In Yucatán, a transversal agenda has been defined for the change of government that will occur this year, with the objective of presenting proposals and keeping the youth agenda in the state current. Institutions representing the governmental and productive sectors interested in youth employability have participated in this process, and there has been collaboration with the local node of the AJTD. In Querétaro, the focus has been directed at young people in a situation of mobility, seeking to strengthen the reception system in the state. JuventudES has joined this effort together with institutions such as GIZ, the state-run National Employment Service (SNE), and civil society organizations such as the Marist Migrant Support Center (CAMMI) so that the MFA can reach young people in this situation.

The definition of a work plan and the continuity of the MTI bring significant long-term benefits, such as the establishment of strong and lasting networks between the various stakeholders, improved coordination and effectiveness of training and support programmes, and the consolidation of a favourable environment for the labour insertion of young people. In addition, this approach ensures that the initiatives and programmes developed continue to adapt to the changing needs of the labour market and youth, thus promoting a positive and sustainable impact in the communities where we operate.