U.S.-Mexico Partnership facilitates job placement for young Salvadorans
USAID Mexico
Ana Gabriela Guardado, a 20-year-old Salvadoran from the municipality of Apopa (in the metropolitan area of San Salvador), recently found employment. She had been looking for work to help support her family but hadn’t had luck yet finding a well-paying job.
"I was so happy when FUNDEMAS called me to tell me that a company wanted me to work with them," recalls Ana Gabriela. FUNDEMAS’ [Business Foundation for Social Action, or FUNDEMAS in Spanish] main role is identifying and placing young job seekers like Ana Gabriela in companies.
FUNDEMAS started collaborating with USAID in March 2023 and has focused on ensuring meaningful employment for youth participating in the project Jovenes Construyendo Futuro (JCF), run by the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) in El Salvador.
Ana Gabriela is one of 1,550 project participants. "I received an email for [the project’s] participants to register on FUNDEMAS’ job platform. This opportunity was crucial because I needed to work to help my mom and four siblings.” FUNDEMAS helped her with personalized coaching to improve her resume and prepare for job interviews.
This support helped her land her new job. Initially she started as a cashier but was quickly promoted to the customer service department in a company that specializes in distributing high-quality household items and hardware.
“My mom raised us and supported us on her own, without any help, and now I have the opportunity to give back to her. Also, now that I'm working, I can pay for my studies," explains Ana Gabriela.
To enhance youth skills and work experience, USAID also invested in a job placement consultant for FUNDEMAS. The consultant’s primary role is to facilitate JCF participants’ access to job opportunities and technical education, as well as coaching them in business development and management skills to set up their own businesses.
By giving youth the skills and tools they need to successfully gain employment and thrive in El Salvador, young people are less likely to migrate. "I have seen examples in my family. My aunt went to the United States and told me to take advantage of these opportunities because when job offers arise, the whole family benefits," concluded Ana Gabriela.
USAID Mexico
About this Story
The Business Foundation for Social Action, or FUNDEMAS in Spanish, currently has a Memorandum of Understanding with USAID’s Alliance for Root Causes and Opportunities (ARCO) activity and is supporting participants of AMEXCID’s Jovenes Construyendo Futuro job placement project in El Salvador. These activities are part of the United States government's investments to address the root causes of irregular migration from Central America that fall under the Sembrando Oportunidades bilateral framework signed by the U.S. government and the Mexican government in June 2021. Under this framework, USAID and AMEXCID coordinate development resources and expertise to support citizens of northern Central America in building prosperous futures in their home communities. Click here for more information.