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CCYCF is located
in the heart of a neighborhood that experienced serious violence
in Dili as a result of the 2006 crisis. Over a hundred young people
from different regions come to the center everyday to develop
reading, writing, and language skills, as well as play sports.
Many young people are also now attending the basic electronic
repair course at CCYCF.
CCYCF started offering an electronic repair course in October
2006. Almost half of the original batch of 42 students have since
found employment, including those who are running their own small
electronic businesses in the districts. “We continue to
expand our activities to prepare more young people for the workforce.
We now have a business management course supplementing the electronic
curriculum and computer literacy training,” CCYCF Director
Jacinta dos Santos Guterres, explained to the guests from Government,
business, USAID and others during the opening ceremony.
CCYCF assistant trainer Gil dos Santos, 19, is one of the original
students who, before attending the nine-month basic electronic
course, felt that he had no job prospects. “Last year, I
didn’t have any skills that could help me earn an income
and find a job. This has all changed since I graduated from the
CCYCF course,” he said.
USAID, through its Small Grants Program is supporting CCYCF and
another vocational training center, the Don Bosco Training Center
(DBTC), to continue offering basic electronic repair training
to Timor-Leste’s out-of-school youth and expand their curriculum
to better prepare graduates for the job market.
“USAID helped us respond to the overwhelming demand from
out-of-school youth for our vocational training. This year, we
doubled our enrollment to a total of 250 students for five vocational
courses--computer literacy, welding, carpentry, auto machinery,
and electricity. USAID is also helping us improve our financial
and logistical systems and develop a database,” said Brother
Thomas Alves, DBTC principal.
DBTC graduate Josefina Sarmento has certainly benefited from
the training: “After finishing secondary school, I was unable
to continue on to college. Without useful skills, I felt pessimistic
about my job prospects, so I decided to attend the computer literacy
course at DBTC. The course involved nine months of coursework
and three months of on-the-job training with a Government office.
I now work as a Secretary and Administration Officer for DBTC,”
said Josefina Sarmento, 20. She is now saving up for further studies.
In recognition of the need for youth-oriented programs like these,
USAID has recently launched a three-year skills development and
on-the-job training program for 2,500 rural youth aged 16-30 known
as Juventude iha Oportunidade Ba Servisu or “JOBS Opportunity.”
As the CCYCF and DBTC graduates have shown, vocational training
certainly means better prospects for Timor-Leste’s youth,
who are unfortunately facing high unemployment and a serious lack
of opportunities.
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