Hope Unlimited in Brazil has been invited to take the lead in spearheading a federal pilot project, designed to equip youth to enter the job market.  The intent of the pilot initiative is to use HOPE’s technical job training as a model to replace the nation’s existing job-training programs for low-income youth.

 

This recognition is a welcome vindication of the instructional quality we have always striven for in equipping youth for jobs.   Most exciting, the federal government encourages faith-based initiatives (unlike local government) and will not restrict our Evangelical outreach – which is our most important goal.

 

We anticipate this will generate much attention from different segments of society,  benefiting us greatly going forward. New partnerships will empower us to make an even bigger impact for Christ in the local community, and be more effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to our care.  Our existing infrastructure would allow us to serve many more youth; only funding constraints have prevented us from operating at full capacity.

 

The pilot program will begin in late April and involve 275 students. We will initiate 9 new courses – with instructor salaries paid and course materials provided – in addition to the 5 courses we already offer.   When the training is concluded, federal sub-contractors will take responsibility to place each course graduate in a job, then track the progress of each one. Employers who hire at least 5 graduates will be awarded a special government seal for their PR use.