This program was designed to improve access to employment and income for at-risk young adults living in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The intervention is developed in training stages that include:
1) 300 hours of vocational or technical training, preparing young people for jobs mainly in the fields of construction and welding.
2) 180 hours of academic or basic skills training, which includes reinforcement courses in mathematics and Portuguese.
3) 120 hours of training in social and emotional skills, such as respect, tolerance, trust, prudence, courage, ethics, and civic responsibility.
4) Extensive exercises in artistic and theatrical techniques led by artistically trained instructors.
The novel dimension of the project is the pedagogical approach with extensive use of arts and theater. And unlike other youth training programs, the project does not include an explicit job placement service or formal internship system, relying rather on an informal network of contacts with private sector partners and partnerships with local firms.
In addition, also unlike other training programs in Latin America, this one offers a longer training schedule. Participants stay in the program for six months, five hours a day, five days a week.