Bridging Opportunity and Technology Gaps in Rural Honduras
Only about 20% of rural students will make it to their high school graduation. The majority wind up in the same type of low-wage and unskilled positions filled by those with barely a primary school education. Another likely outcome, students opt for migration or fall victim to criminal activity to earn money.
They remain trapped in the same cycle despite their higher education because there has not existed a support network to connect rural students to opportunities post-high school.
This is where NIDO – Graduate Resource Center comes in.
The Intersection of NGOs and Public-private Partnerships
Students gain proficiency in both life skills and technical skills identified as most in-demand through labor market assessments. Courses aim to help youth make the transition from adolescence to adulthood in addition to increasing their employability. Courses are divided between General Education and Electives based on students’ career interests.
Private Sector:
- Internships
- Entrepreneurship workshops such as customer service, finance, and marketing.
- Certifications
- Participation in labor market and employability assessments affecting youth
Public Sector:
- Donation of the physical space for NIDO use
- Scholarships to study in nearby trade schools
- Formal recognition of NIDO activities by governmental institutions
- Long-term cost-sharing arrangements
- Support to replicate programming in other municipalities
NGOs:
- Subsidized student transportation fees
- Tech equipment donations
- Volunteer network of course trainers and mentors
- Logistics and evaluation for NIDO workshops and activities
We partner with national universities and volunteer networks of honduran professionals to provide admissions counseling, exam practice, tutoring, and scholarship support.
We partner with the private sector such as coffee companies to identify in-demand skills and work with other ngos and government institutions specializing in vocational training to properly train students.
We provide seed capital, mentorship, and small group training through our network of local volunteers to support students to develop microenterprises or select other career pathways.
Results
After
of student participants possess functional computer skills and basic MS Office knowledge
of student participants possess basic understanding of the national universities, admissions processes, and available majors.
of student participants possess foundational knowledge of different types of bank accounts, different kinds of debt, credit, and how to open a bank account.