The social reality of Bolivia can be seen in the urban landscape of its capital, La Paz; high unemployment, a growing informal sector, and poverty. Hundreds of thousands of young people enter the labour market each year, but find few options for survival in an economy that is unable to provide them with jobs.

Jorge Cabrera: ILO Expert

The idea is to generate a competitive business-oriented culture for young people entering the labour market.

Faced with this challenge, the ILO through its programme for sustainable employment is trying to create a generation of young entrepreneurs among Bolivians. Using materials, specially conceived for business education, vocational trainers are working with universities, colleges, technical schools, and even military bases that attract the young people of some of the poorest areas of Bolivia.

Luciel Rios: Director of Vocational Training

The objective of our methodology is to incite a business-oriented culture, for them to be capable of becoming entrepreneurs.

Within the confines of an army base, vocational training blends the collective discipline of the military with the individualism of an entrepreneur. Even thought he is only eighteen, Miguel Limachi seems to know exactly where his future lies.

Miguel Limachi: Soldier

An entrepreneur must be more than all these people who wish to create jobs. For me, seeing my mountain city, I see many people who want to work but there is a scarcity of jobs, that’s the problem so that’s why I want to be an entrepreneur.

Not all those young men and women who receive vocational training will end up as entrepreneurs. But for some, these new business skills will open doors of opportunity wider than they ever imagined possible.