Right in the heart of the mega-metropolis Mexico City, Kolping runs a vocational training center where young people from poor families receive full support to acquire key skills for the job market.
The center is located in Martín Carrera, a low-income neighbourhood where youth unemployment is high – as is the case everywhere in Mexico. One major reason for this is a lack of education: around half of all young people in Mexico do not attend secondary school or drop out early – for example, because secondary school is too far away from their home or because they have to earn money at a young age. This was also the case for Eduardo. Instead of finishing school, he started helping out in his parents’ taquería at the age of 17. He enjoyed the work there. But without a degree and training, he had no career prospects.
Special program for school dropouts
This is where the training centre of KOLPING Mexico comes in: It offers qualified vocational training courses and a special program for school dropouts to help young people enter the job market. In 2023, a total of 73 young people attended the three-month training courses in “Bakery and Confectionery” and “Barista and Beverages”. The courses are state-certified so that graduates can present a recognized certificate when looking for a job afterwards. This greatly improves their chances of finding qualified and better paid work.
Qualified vocational training
Eduardo decided to train as a barista. “My main aim was to learn about providing service, i.e. the best way to deal with customers,” says the now 23-year-old young man. “I had no idea about that before, and I always felt uncomfortable working with customers in the taquería.” Apart from providing service and preparing coffee and other beverages correctly, Eduardo also learned a lot about bookkeeping, costing and marketing. Knowledge that he can put to good use: His goal is to open his own café one day.
Knowledge of accounting and marketing
Eduardo can also count on KOLPING’s help in these areas, because besides offering specialist training, career guidance and job application training, the center also provides specific support for young entrepreneurs to start their own business. Since 2013, it has also provided sports and leisure activities as well as street work to encourage young people to get off the streets and move into a safe space. Since opening the training center in 2016, KOLPING Mexico has successfully contributed to reducing youth unemployment. 45% of the graduates in 2023 have already found employment. 23% have started their own business; 22% are going back to school or university. And Eduardo is also confident that he will soon be able to serve delicious coffee and juice in his own small café.
