Closed schools, online classes, job shortages and increasingly precarious working conditions are some of the difficulties that COVID-19 has added to the youth unemployment crisis in Mexico.

According to the data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), by the end of 2020 a loss of 672,000 jobs among the population up to 24 years of age was reported, compared to the period prior to the global pandemic.

In this context, AVSI Foundation and AVSI in Mexico do not falter in their commitment to youth: by signing a collaboration agreement with Enel Green Power Mexico, together they will encourage relations with companies in the sector and the value chain of renewable energy.

The aim is to implement a comprehensive model of training and support the employability of 800 young people between the ages of 17 and 22. Among these youth are school drop-outs, people with a low level of schooling or who are unemployed because of the pandemic.

The agreement has been signed within the framework of the YOUTH project and comprises:

• the identification of the necessary training and technical needs related to the business value chain;
• the promotion of this approach with academic authorities and company representatives, in order to create an intersectoral working table on the subject;
• support in designing the content of such technical training and accompanying young people in the training process.

"With the project we seek to ensure that young people enjoy equal opportunities for access to the labor market, in addition to their insertion in dignified, fair and safe conditions," explains Berenice Arellano, the project coordinator.

The young people who participate in the project, which is carried out with shared financing from the European Union and the alliance with Junior Achievement Mexico, will receive training not only in technical subjects such as information technology and entrepreneurial competencies, but also basic disciplines including Spanish and mathematics, along with soft skills (teamwork, assertive communication, critical thinking).