Funding required: $145,125
This project will help: 660 young people and caregivers
Completion date: January 2026
Country: Honduras
Executive summary
In Honduras, adolescents younger than age 19 make up a whopping 33.4 per cent of the population. Young people in Honduras dream of growing up and finding a good job so that they can support themselves and their families. However, young people are struggling to find work. There are more than 447,000 unemployed individuals in Honduras, 36.8 per cent of whom are 25 or younger. Young people who cannot find work often have no choice but to try to leave the country in search of opportunities. However, faced with an uncertain future and limited resources, many consider the dangerous path of illegal immigration—putting their lives and livelihoods at risk. Young men and women living in rural areas are more likely to experience poverty and limited job opportunities. Youth in rural communities often encounter a local job market that highly values technical training, but with limited education and no formal training, many youths living in poverty cannot compete. Young women face a particularly uncertain future; a 2018 study found that of the 26 per cent of youth age 12 to 30 who are not in school or working, 79 per cent were women. Compassion’s frontline church partners in Honduras know the importance of preparing young people for adulthood through mentorship, education and training. In Honduras, vocational training provides the skills and experience needed for youths to compete in the current labour market. Hands-on skills like welding and carpentry are highly sought after but are not taught in high school. Sadly, due to lack of financial resources, vocational training is out of reach for many students living in poverty. This intervention will see 660 young people and parents of participants from 33 frontline church partners in Honduras receive technical vocational and business skill training. Through comprehensive, hands-on training, business plan development, seed capital and support from centre staff, participants will acquire the skills needed to enter the workforce trained, equipped and prepared for success.Summary
Background
According to UNESCO (2019), technical and vocational education and training is a fundamental pillar for equity, productivity and sustainability in countries across the world. Providing young people with access to technical training contributes to improving conditions for equal access to education, employment and entrepreneurship. Recently, frontline church partners in Honduras conducted needs identification studies through focus groups with key community stakeholders and church leadership. One of the main identified needs was the lack of job opportunities for Compassion-assisted beneficiaries. Upon further assessment, the focus groups concluded that inadequate educational levels and lack of technical skills strongly contributed to the difficulty young people face when trying to enter the job market. To ensure all participants finish well after graduating from the Compassion program, staff want to equip young people with the skills needed to enter the labour market.The need
With high rates of unemployment among youth in Honduras, young men and women need improved access to vocational training. Without it, young people will continue to face a mismatch of skills and have little hope of breaking generational cycles of poverty. With your generous support, 660 young people and caregivers will attend vocational training workshops at their local Compassion centres, where they will learn in-demand technical skills based on the labour market in their area to equip them for the workforce. Centres will prepare spaces for the workshops to be held, including purchasing equipment and supplies. Participants will complete the workshop learning over four to five months, after which they will receive a technical preparation certificate. Of the 660 selected participants, 165 will be selected to develop a strong business plan. Church staff will support those with strong business plans, offering mentorship and seed capital to launch their own businesses. With your support, these young people and caregivers will develop hands-on skills that are highly sought after in today’s labour market. As they finish the program, young people will be prepared to find in-demand jobs or become entrepreneurs, so they can provide for themselves and their families.What your gift will do
Your gift will provide vocational training for 660 young people and caregivers from Honduras, including:- Technical training program at 33 Compassion centres
- Seed capital and entrepreneurship training for 165 participants
- Entrepreneurship fair
- Monitoring and follow-up
Logistics
- Local contribution: US$8,012
- Handling of funds: Compassion Honduras will ensure this project stays within budget.
- Monitoring: Church staff will appoint monitoring guides to oversee the intervention and work closely with facilitators at each participating church. The guides will provide detailed monitoring and gather information on challenges encountered, best practices and support needed throughout the intervention.
