Paisajoven Corporation in Medellin - Colombia

Source: ILO/CINTERFOR

The Paisajoven Corporation is the result of a bilateral agreement between the Municipality of Medellin and the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ). It operates in the form of a network that includes municipal bodies, ONGs, foundations, universities and a number of agencies specialising in work with young people.

The objective of Paisajoven is to promote co-ordination among organisations, to professionalise its personnel and organise pilot experiences. The approach adopted by the Corporation implies the training of its personnel, reinforcing impact and co-ordination (development of institutional alliances) for the improvement of the services of organisations. To that end training services are implemented, as well as management consulting, tools grants, a diploma on methodology for the design and evaluation of projects, and courses and seminars by specialised institutions or agencies that work with the young.

The main contribution of Paisajoven in the area of youth employment in Medellin has been a regional model of training for employment. It has identified lack of training as the main cause of structural unemployment, and singled out the local sphere as appropriate for meeting existing training demands. Although these initiatives are costly, they have impact in the medium term.

Training and employment are one of the fourteen lines of action of the Medellin Plan, jointly developed by the State and civil society. Thus, the Municipality of Medellin has promoted a pilot project on "Management model for the training and access to employment of the young", which aims at inter-institutional co-ordination to improve the training offer, promote more efficient management of resources, and have influence in the medium term on structural unemployment.

[Top]