Programme Overview

YCI Costa Rica was piloted in 2008 in San José by Marriott and InterContinental hotels, with an initial intake of 14 students who successfully completed the programme. The 24-week training cycle of YCI in Costa Rica typically runs from January till July.

World Vision Costa Rica supported the pilot programme by coordinating the selection of deserving candidates through a network of relevant NGOs serving YCI’s target group. They also arranged additional training sessions in collaboration with a number of organisations from the non-profit and the public sector. After a hiatus due to the economic climate, it is anticipated that YCI in Costa Rica will re-launch in January 2011.

Spotlight on Costa Rica

According to the International Labour Organisation, unemployment rates in Costa Rica are almost triple for those aged 15-24 when compared to their older counterparts. The International Organization for Migration has sited this as a cause for the rise of other social problems, such as human trafficking and youth exploitation.

The government is currently working with the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund to implement the “Joint Programme on Youth, Employment and Migration: A One-Stop Shop for Employment,” that aims to provide access to employment intermediary services, education, entrepreneurial advice, and training for youth from rural areas, as well as migrants and at-risk women.

YCI in Costa Rica

YCI and its partners have also been actively involved in promoting youth employment in Costa Rica since the programme began in 2008. Feedback from the first graduating class was very positive, with participant Adrian Leon stating “This programme will guide me in deciding what I really want to do. The training and support they have given me are helping me discover my real strengths and weaknesses.”

Marta de Burgos, Director of Human Resources at the Marriott Costa Rica San Jose was also supportive of the programme. She said, “YCI is a great way to reach out to our communities. The best part of the programme is to see these participants’ enthusiastic faces, full of energy and so eager to learn.”