Employment for Reconciliation II

Colombia is home to roughly two million conflict victims under the age of 26, who often find themselves excluded, vulnerable, and with little formal education or access to professional opportunities. The unemployment rates for vulnerable populations are higher than the national average of 9.8 percent. Conflict victims experience an unemployment rate of 20 percent, while unemployment rates are 18 percent for ethnic minorities, 16 percent for women, and 12 percent for youth. Each of these groups face multiple barriers to formal, high-quality employment.

Under the Work for Reconciliation Program, with funding from the GOC, Diageo, Alcaldia de Bogotá and in partnership with the Program of Alliances for Reconciliation (PAR), Fundación ACDI/VOCA LA, DIAGO, the Chamber of Commerce Bogotá, and Fundación Texmodas, ACDI/VOCA used its employability model to work with youth who were conflict victims and who often faced multiple barriers and obstacles to access formal, quality employment.

In addition to forging alliances with the private sector, the project conducted assessments of economic sectors with the greatest potential for growth and unmet demand. Young people received specialized technical training in these sectors and learned soft skills to help ensure they obtained work at the end of their training. The program offered courses in administrative support, financial and accounting support, cooking skills, call center training, dressmaking, marketing and sales, baking, networks and telecommunications, distribution, port operations, hotel reception, information technology, and bank customer service. The program was able to work with vulnerable populations in Barranquilla, Cali, Bogotá, Santa Marta, Cartagena, Montería, Riohacha, and Pereira.

Project Objectives

Improved vulnerable populations’ soft skills and ability to enter the workforce
Increased alliances between the public and private sectors
Fostered a sense of inclusion between populations affected by Colombia’s armed conflict

Project Activities & Approaches

Coordinated with local and national entities and promoted strategic alliances with government entities, including ministries and mayors
Promoted strategic alliances with the private sector and strengthened relationships with allied businesses, guilds, and other entities that shared the program’s vision of promoting workplace inclusion and improving vulnerable populations’ quality of life
Coordinated with social and civil society organizations to spur the active participation of leaders and collective action networks and empowered vulnerable populations to participate
Provided technical training in soft skills to vulnerable populations in major Colombian cities

Achieved Project Results

By the end of the project in August 2020,

363 youth in Bogotá received training to gain access to formal employment and obtained a technical degree
363 youth in Bogotá strengthened their socio-emotional and employability skills
343 youth achieved income-generating opportunities through apprenticeship/job contracts and saw their incomes increase
72 percent of the project participants experienced a positive change toward reconciliation

Funders: Secretary of Social Inclusion (SDIS) of Bogotá’s Mayor Office, USAID’s Program Alliances for Reconciliation, FAVLA, Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá, Fundación Texmodas, and DIAGEO