Who are the opportunity youth?

OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN MEXICO

WHO ARE THE OPPORTUNITY YOUTH?

Opportunity youth are young men and women who are both unemployed and not studying at the time, or working precarious jobs without a decent salary or social security, to name a few of the conditions they must endure. More than 60% of young Mexicans face this situation, which represents a significant challenge for the country.

WHAT IS THE CONTEXT IN MEXICO?

Unemployment and lack of access to education are the main factors contributing to the situation of opportunity youth in Mexico. Many of them come from marginalized communities and face economic, social and cultural barriers to access educational and employment opportunities.

WHAT ARE THEIR MAIN BARRIERS OR CHALLENGES?

Among the greatest challenges that opportunity youth face are:

• Lack of educational and employment opportunities.
• Discrimination and social exclusion.
• Poverty and lack of resources.
• Lack of skills and training.
• Digital divide and limited access to technology.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

There are many ways in which opportunity youth in Mexico can be helped. Some options include the following:

• Offer training and employment opportunities.
• Provide access to technology and digital skills.
• Promote equal opportunities and fight discrimination.
• Foster local economic development and entrepreneurship.
• Create partnerships between the private and public sectors and civil society to comprehensively address the challenges faced by opportunity youth.

ABOUT CONECTIVA

Conectiva is a pilot acceleration program that supports growing businesses in Mexico that support opportunity youth. This program fosters job creation and local economic development, while providing support and training to selected businesses.Conectiva is part of the New Ventures initiative, an organization that supports social and environmental entrepreneurs in Latin America, and VIWALA, which develops impact payment loans that can help these ventures scale and drive greater impact.

RESOURCES
To learn more about the situation of opportunity youth in Mexico, please check the
YouthBuild 2022 report.

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