Programme Overview

In 2007 two Marriott hotels and one IHG property piloted YCI in two Mexican locations simultaneously: Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta. In 2009 Cancun became the third location in Mexico. By 2010, ten top properties from five leading hotel chains including Hyatt, NH Hotels and Starwood, besides the piloting hotel companies, have run YCI programmes benefiting over 160 young participants nationwide.

The Fundación Infantia, a local non-profit organisation advocating against the sexual exploitation of children in tourism, coordinates the initiative including garnering the support of other relevant partners from the public, private and non-profit sectors to provide a range of contributions to enable the effective delivery of different elements of the programme.

Spotlight on Mexico

According to the International Labour Organization, youth unemployment in Mexico has steadily been on the rise. Despite the release of recent figures by the government that show overall joblessness in Mexico declining to 5.1% in May 2010, from a high of 6.4% in August of 2009, youth unemployment and low levels of job creation remain a major concern for the nation.

The Milken Institute stated in a 2007 report that this lack of opportunity is a main factor behind the large numbers of youth either taking up positions in the insecure underground economy in order to survive, or illegally immigrating to the United States.

55 young people graduate in fourth year of YCI in Mexico

March 2011 - Ten full-service hotels across three Mexican locations recently celebrated the successes of 55 new graduates who completed 24 weeks of intense training.

Acknowledging the work of all partners that make possible YCI, Yhajaira Zulín Abrego, a graduate of YCI Mexico City 2011, said: “We have been equipped with the necessary tools and skills that will enable us to perform in an ever demanding and competitive labour market. Once we are able to secure a job, we’ll reap the benefits of all the effort that went into our education over the past six months”.