Vocational Training

The Vocational Training School and Entrepreneurial Support is and has been the most significant contribution FEDES Foundation has made to Human Development. This endeavor has trained almost 1,500 people since its creation in 2002. These training activities were conducted as a result of the agreement with FOSIS, and within the programmed activities of said institution for the Metropolitan area and those of the Social Programs Division of the National Training and Employment Service, known by it Spanish acronym, SENCE.

During several school years the Vocational Training School and Entrepreneurial Support has already provided training services to beneficiaries of the FOSIS Metropolitan Region Labor and Employment Reinsertion Program, by means of subcontracting carried out by the managers of the program.

Integration

A very interesting training and integration project for mentally challenged young people (from COANIL Foundation), was conducted during 2004. By a cooperation agreement executed with COANIL (handicapped children), a pilot experience was conducted which consisted in training a group of mentally challenged young people in construction and housing maintenance skills. This project, which also produced a new housing complex for the COANIL Los Girasoles Home, included the efforts of both the Vocational Training School and the FEDES Pre-fab Housing Plant. The project was financed by the Rotary Club of the district of El Bosque.

Between the end of 2005 and the first semester of 2006, FEDES carried out the project: “Senior Citizens’ Strengthening Support”, financed by the Metropolitan Region chapter of FOSIS. This project gathered together almost 600 senior citizens from the districts of the southern area of Santiago in a major event that was presided by then National Director of SENAMA, Professor Manuel Pereira. The event took place at La Perla and was attended by authorities from FOSIS and representatives of the municipalities of the area.

After the inauguration event, FEDES Foundation conducted a number of workshops on the subjects of art, culture, introduction to new information technologies, leadership, among others. Eighty senior citizens took part in those workshops, most of them leaders if not members of various organizations of the southern districts of Santiago.

This project, which was carried out with FOSIS financing, enable FEDES to establish networks with leading organizations in issues associated with senior citizens. Such is the case of the Ecumenical Training Center, an institution that committed itself to the success of the event. Also participating was the Red Cross from Lo Espejo, an institution which to this day takes part in wheelchair distribution. Likewise, as a result of this project, several senior citizens organizations from the area maintain contact with our Foundation to this day. Courses on introduction to new information technologies were held for some of those organizations. Said courses were financed by FEDES who also leveraged the Vocational Training School facilities and equipment at La Perla.

Contact with the situation and needs of senior citizens played a large part in the creation in 2005 of the course on Care for the Elderly at the Vocational Training School. Forty women have already received training in this trade, several of whom have already started a small business enterprise creating services for this segment of the population.