Bridges to Employment Project

The project, funded by USAID, focuses on increasing stakeholder engagement to improve the enabling environment for workforce development and employment. Key activities in April 2018 included partnering with Fundacion Gloria de Kriete to train vulnerable youth in software development skills and celebrating Global Youth Service Day with USAID staff and young social entrepreneurs. The project's objective is to increase stakeholder engagement to improve the enabling environment for workforce development and employment. Policy reform efforts include supporting the Instituto Nacional de la Juventud (INJUVE) in implementing a new policy for assisting youth with disabilities. Puentes is actively engaging with private and public sector agencies to facilitate inclusive work environments for youth with disabilities and other minority groups. Improving support to youth with disabilities is another key area of focus. Puentes is collaborating with Salvadoran agencies to boost the employment of youth with disabilities and to ensure the work environment meets their needs. The project is also promoting corporate inclusion of vulnerable groups by working with companies to improve their policies and practices to support the needs and inclusion of vulnerable groups. The project is also working to provide decent employment opportunities for vulnerable youth in a number of industries. Puentes staff traveled to Costa Rica to learn from the experience of the Rainforest Alliance, INCAE Business School's Centro Latinoamericano de Competitividad y el Desarrollo Sostenible, and the Cámara Costarricense de TIC in order to incorporate best practices into the development of standards for the Fair Programming Seal. The goal of Fair Programming is to provide decent employment opportunities for vulnerable youth in the IT industry and for software developers in developing countries to obtain fair prices for their services. The project's efforts are focused on improving the enabling environment for workforce development and employment in El Salvador. By increasing stakeholder engagement and promoting corporate inclusion of vulnerable groups, the project aims to provide decent employment opportunities for vulnerable youth and improve their overall well-being. The project's work in policy reform, improving support to youth with disabilities, and promoting corporate inclusion are key areas of focus in achieving this goal. The project's progress in April 2018 was marked by several notable achievements. The project partnered with Fundacion Gloria de Kriete to train vulnerable youth in software development skills, and celebrated Global Youth Service Day with USAID staff and young social entrepreneurs. The project also made progress in policy reform, improving support to youth with disabilities, and promoting corporate inclusion of vulnerable groups. The project's success will depend on continued stakeholder engagement and support. The project's ability to improve the enabling environment for workforce development and employment in El Salvador will be critical in achieving its goal of providing decent employment opportunities for vulnerable youth. The project's work in policy reform, improving support to youth with disabilities, and promoting corporate inclusion are key areas of focus in achieving this goal. The project's geographic focus is on El Salvador, with a specific emphasis on improving the enabling environment for workforce development and employment. The project's timeframes are focused on the period from 2018 to 2023, with a goal of providing decent employment opportunities for vulnerable youth in the IT industry and for software developers in developing countries to obtain fair prices for their services.