Popayan Technical School Foundation

POPAYAN TECHNICAL SCHOOL FOUNDATION - 

Creating Employment Opportunities

 
Country: Colombia

Project initiated in: 1995

Presented by: AECID

Partners: Ministry of Culture and Local Authorities in Columbia

Project budget: EUR 2.6 million

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// Context

Popayán is a city located in the south west of Colombia – in the Cauca region – with a population of 300 000 people, of which 35% are under 20 years old. Previously a centre for trading in gold, silver and other precious metals, its rich historical heritage, inherited from the colonial period, is a marker of the scale and diversity of the arts which have developed in the town.

// Project objectives

The overall objective of the project is to contribute towards eradicating poverty, via training young men and women in the arts and crafts. The project was established through the creation of a technical school which promotes the artistic, social, economic, technical and ethical dimensions of arts and crafts by providing students with the competencies required to create income-generating professions, often linked to the conservation and promotion of the historical heritage of the region.

// Action and impact

Between 1995 and 2010, approximately 1,000 young people, often from underprivileged backgrounds, followed training in professions linked with construction, restoration, furnishing, painting, decoration, cookery, urban agriculture, jewellery-making, etc. The school ensures monitoring of all young students through the provision of support during their projects and information regarding employment opportunities in the sectors concerned at regional level.

Almost all of those students leaving the school are today employed: 70% of young students have jobs directly linked to skills learnt from the school and the remaining 30%, even though working in other sectors, use skills learnt in some form during their professional lives. Thanks to support provided by the school, a large proportion of youngsters have created their own businesses, which are proof of the sustainable impact of the project both individually and socially.

The Technical School Foundation has offered many youngsters the unique opportunity to develop their capacity to live from the fruits of their own labour, of becoming autonomous and of successfully integrating themselves into professional life. The dynamic which is created in this regard and activities related to the School also have a considerable impact on the promotion of the architectural and artistic heritage of the school.

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