ASAP works actively in the EMPUJAR Program, aimed at the employment of young people. Could you summarize what does the program consist of?
The Empujar Program provides job training courses to young people from vulnerable contexts, and helps them to find employment once the course is finished.
The Pléroma Foundation, (which carries out the Empujar Program) is a non-profit organization formed by Argentine businessmen in 2013. Today there are 14 headquarters, more than 1,400 graduates and a network of more than 600 volunteers that we participate supporting young people and their development.

Together we managed to get 67% of the boys and girls who go through "Push" to get a formal job. Since this month of September, ASAP becomes the HEADQUARTERS for the CABA Sur area, in order to reach more young people every day!

What are the trainings and what are the requirements to participate in them?
In the courses of the Empujar Program, young people are trained in job skills so that they become stronger and achieve quality employment.
From the hand of specialized volunteers in each subject, the young people learn about teamwork, initiative and proactivity, how to resolve conflicts, how to improve their expression and communication; key competencies when entering the world of work. Trained professionals accompany young people in putting together their curriculum, how to look for a job, and mock individual and group interviews are held together with Human Resources experts who are in charge of selecting personnel in their companies.
Once the training is finished, the young people have the support of the Push for 2 years to search for work, serving as a link between the companies and their possible hiring opportunities. Training is for free, and lasts 3 months.
To apply for a scholarship from the Empujar Program, young people must be between 18 and 24 years old, have finished secondary school (they may owe courses at the time of enrollment), and must not have had a formal job before.

How does it feel to be able to participate in a program like this, and what have been the responses and the results achieved?
The Push program changes us all: young people, volunteers, managers ... I think that those of us who do Push always take more than we give. We know stories, we change our gaze, and we understand much more some situations that usually happen to us "by the side". For the boys and girls, for their part, a window is opened to a world they do not know, but they are accompanied by mentors and other volunteers who guide them throughout the process. They have contact with specialists in Human Resources, Safety and Hygiene, Logistics, Managers, Directors and business owners (among others), with whom they share experiences as equals, breaking down social barriers.
The boys and girls who graduate from the Empujar Program are motivated, trained, committed and eager to grow. Personally, I have accompanied many boys in Empujar (some of them work today at ASAP, others I have accompanied as a mentor, or simply telling life stories), and I feel happy and proud to belong, and to contribute a grain of sand to that more young Argentines have the possibility of accessing a decent job. Including is everyone's job, and with very little we can do a lot.

If you want to make a financial contribution to the Empujar Program, please contact: Cristian Galarza, cgalarza@asapamericas.com, Mobile: 11-6183-5550