Youth employment programme Latin America
Enabling vulnerable young people to build a better future through hospitality training
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Over 2,100
graduates
About our past programme
What we were doing
We have previously operated our youth employment programme in Latin America.
Our first programme launched in Brazil in 2005 in Costa do Sauipe, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Since then, we ran successful programmes in six countries across the region, supporting over 2,100 students to gain the skills they need to access meaningful employment. This included Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.
Who we helped
Our youth employment programme focuses on supporting young people, aged 18-24, who have faced a wide range of barriers, including people from low income families, those living without parental care, survivors of human trafficking, and youth in conflict with law and recovering from drug addictions.
Across the Latin America region, our programme worked to support refugees – mainly from North Triangle of America Central (TNAC).
During the 13 years our programme operated in Brazil, we supported race and gender equality with greater participation from young women. Scarlet’s story is an example of how the programme worked to empower black women in the country.
“A big challenge for me was learning to use the computer because in the community I am from, there is no easy access to technology.
Thanks to this initiative, I was able to demonstrate my skills and develop in the workplace. It has taught me beyond the limits that I learnt from my community and I now aspire to develop myself on different levels.”
Laura, Guatemala programme graduate, 2019
“Every department I visited was a world of opportunity for me. I fell in love with every department I trained in, asked many questions, and always tried to go the extra mile. My experience on the programme taught me that I had the ability to do so many things: perform rigorous sanitation procedures, handle cleaning equipment safely, and learn to use all the chemicals in the Steward area properly.”
Robinson Medina, Dominican Republic programme graduate, 2017
“This programme gave me the opportunity I needed, a chance to show who I am and what I can do. This is the most valuable aspect of the programme, the opportunities that it can provide to young people. I am extremely grateful for being given the chance to achieve my career goals.”
Scarlet, Brazil programme graduate, 2011
Past projects in this region
US Department of State: Supporting survivors of human trafficking
In 2010, we began a 5-year partnership with the US Department of State’s Office to Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) to explore how our youth employment programme can be adapted to support survivors of human trafficking in key locations. We adapted our programme model to ensure survivors could access the necessary psychological support during their training, as well as implementing a series of awareness raising workshops for hotel staff and local non-profits.
During the grant period, our programme supported over 60 survivors across Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Mexico and Vietnam to gain the skills and confidence they need to build promising careers in the hospitality industry and beyond. Learnings from this project have helped shape our approach to supporting survivors in our on-going programmes and supported the development of our work with Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS).
Find out more about our current programmes in other regions
Asia Pacific
Our programmes are helping young people, including survivors of human trafficking, in the Asia Pacific region.
Middle East and Africa
We are helping young people and working to increase disability inclusion in hospitality in this region.
Help us to continue to change lives
We are seeking partnerships with funders and non-profits to increase the impact of this programme across the world.
