Triangular cooperation between Chile, the Dominican Republic and Germany: youth employment in rural and urban areas in the Dominican Republic
Project description
Title: Regional Fund for the Promotion of Triangular Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean – Individual measure: Youth employment in rural and urban areas in the Dominican Republic
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Countries: Dominican Republic (recipient country), Chile (partner country)
Overall term: 2014 to 2016
Context
Unequal income distribution, increasing social inequality and unemployment, and the proliferation of the informal sector are making life difficult for socially disadvantaged young people. With two thirds of its population under the age of 30, the Dominican Republic faces a particular challenge in this respect. In 2010, around 18 per cent of the country’s 8.5 million citizens were out of work. To bring about a sustainable improvement in this situation and overcome the sense of hopelessness felt by many of the country’s young people, the Dominican Republic has to increase the number of opportunities for education and training and create employment initiatives, particularly in rural areas.
Objective
The performance capacity of the institutions that are responsible for creating jobs and putting people in work in the Dominican Republic is increased, enabling them to operate more efficiently and effectively. Young people receive microloans and ongoing support to realise their employment initiatives. In the long term, the institutions are able to develop new methods and strategies for promoting youth employment without external assistance. Youth violence and delinquency are decreasing.
Approach
The project partners developed a work plan as part of a successful pilot scheme. Between 2011 and 2013, the focus of triangular cooperation was on coordinating activities by the different institutions involved and on consolidating a management model that would boost employment and entrepreneurship among the country’s impoverished and unemployed youth.
Cooperating in four sectors, the project partners successfully:
- Analysed potentials in different areas of intervention
- Trained instructors and educated young people living in precarious conditions
- Created access to microloans and supported young people’s efforts to find work
- Used the project’s results to develop a national policy initiative
These successful measures are currently being expanded. Moreover, more young people are to be given microloans in a bid to sustainably foster their employment initiatives.
Results
Various training courses in the period from 2011 to 2013 enabled some 80 lecturers and trainers to hone their skills. The contents of these training courses and the methods used were incorporated into the syllabuses of 40 basic and further training centres. Around 900 young people from rural areas have received basic and further training as a result. More than 800 course participants produced self-employment project proposals and nearly half have been able to find employment – either with a company or working for themselves – thanks to the project’s measures.
In 2013, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Youth presented the project with an award in recognition of its outstanding success. This award proves yet again that the partners in Latin America and the Caribbean are convinced of the benefit and value of triangular cooperation backed by the Regional Fund.