A Ganar/Vencer, using sport for Latin American youth employment
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>View discussions about this entry País: United States
Organization: Partners of the Americas
Sport - Soccer
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2005
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Project URL: http://www.partners.net/partners/Aganar_Home_EN.asp
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Soccer is an effective tool for teaching employment skills to at-risk boys and girls in Latin America.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - If you know how to show up for a game or practice on time, play by the rules, communicate well, respect the game, your coach, the referee and your opponent, play hard the entire game, help your team anyway that is needed, and do what it takes to win, you already have the basic skills needed to succeed in any job. Employers seek applicants with these skills and youth who have them can find jobs and advance. A Ganar combines soccer field activities, classroom activities, vocational/technical skills development, practical experiences and a "passion for success" into a comprehensive job skill program. Specialized soccer-based games help youth transform their sports skills into marketable job skills. Soccer-based lessons help youth improve their math, reading and computer skills. We are more than a sports program. We use the best of soccer and sport to help youth obtain the skills they need to enter the competitive job market and to succeed in life.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? - According to the UN, youth unemployment in Latin America is twice the overall rate of unemployment and three times the rate of adults. Youth in marginalized communities also lack basic math and language skills, technical skills and practical experience. Nor do they have the resources for training. Unemployment also negatively impacts family welfare and puts youth at greater risk for unhealthy behaviors. A Ganar/Vencer helps youth break this cycle with training and support, all built on sports.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - We developed a three phase program that motivates and prepares youth to successfully enter the job market. In Phase 1, we combine soccer field activities with classroom activities to help youth transform sports skills into marketable employability skills: teamwork; communication; discipline; respect; a focus on results and self-improvement. In Phase 2, youth learn market-driven vocational/technical skills while sharpening employability skills. In Phase 3, youth put their knowledge into practice through internships or other practical experiences. Throughout training youth conduct community service and are mentored by local professionals. Our training targets economically disadvantaged youth, boys and girls, ages 16-24. Training is free but it requires a strong commitment and active participation by each individual. At the end of training, youth have transformed themselves into young professionals, ready for employment. We also bring together local non-profits, universities, sports groups, soccer clubs, local governments and the private sector to collaborate in training youth.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - Currently we work in the "favelas" of Rio de Janeiro, in the "barrios" of Quito, Ecuador and in various locations in Uruguay. We start from a basic curriculum that is then adapted to meet the needs of each country. Based on our initial success, a combination of private companies, government agencies and local non-profits are interested in expanding A Ganar within their countries and to other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. We are seeking funding from multiple sources to enable us to expand to meet those demands.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - Latin American youth from marginalized communities will have the skills, experience and confidence necessary to earn competative jobs in their communities.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? - We measure our current impact in various ways:
1) Over 1600 at-risk youth have participated in the program. Approximately 40% of first-year graduates obtained employment within six months. The numbers for year two are expected to greatly exceed that number. 2) We have demonstrated to youth, universities, non-profits, government agencies and the private sector that a soccer-based curriculum is both an effective and efficient way to teach job skills to youth. Youth are motivated to learn and learn quickly. Businesses rate our youth as some of their best employees because of their attitudes and abilities to work well in team settings. 3) Because our program engages at-risk youth, people in their communities are beginning to see them as assets and not as problems. Our target youth are:
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? - A Ganar is changing how large institutions view development. Sport for development was originally a "stretch" for an institution as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Now FIFA and the IDB have agreed to promote development through sport. The Minas Gerais, Brazil government signed an agreement to expand there starting in 2008. Uruguay's government and the Uruguayan soccer club "Nacional" will support us in 2008. The Ecuadorian oil pipeline company, OCP, will also sponsor training in 2008.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? - Workforce development requires intense training and individualized instruction. Both require an investment of time and money by multiple stakeholders: governments, the private sector and community groups. Our model has proven successful but a chief obstacle to achieving impact is finding the levels of funding required to meet the needs of youth living in the hemisphere's most at-risk communities.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - The Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank took the initial risk of funding a sport for youth employment program and provided an investment of $3.6 million to fund A Ganar/Vencer in Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay. Partners of the Americas agreed to raise an additional $1.2 million in cash and $1.2 million of in-kind support. Microsoft, OCP and many other private organizations have contributed to the program. Governmental support will be provided in each country in 2008. Training partners also contribute 25% of the cost of direct training. Numerous individuals and volunteers have also contributed.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. - Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff. Partners Annual budget: $10,142,000
Partners Annual revenue generated: $10,142,000 The A Ganar/Vencer budget is approximately $1,250,000 per year Full-time staff: 15 Washington, DC based Part-time staff: 1 Washington, DC based Volunteers: 3000, includes members of Partners of the Americas volunteer chapters in US, Latin America and the Caribbean plus volunteers mobilized by programs Specific A Ganar/Vencer Staff (included in numbers provided above) What is the potential demand for your innovation? - Due to the strong need of youth to find employment or to start their own business, the high number of at-risk and unemployment youth in Latin America, the proven effectiveness of the sport-for-development model and the overwhelming popularity of soccer in the region, A Ganar/Vencer is in high demand. We have already received requests for expansion to Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Paraguay. The model can also be adapted for use in other regions and in other programs.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - Poor and unemployed youth are unable to pay for their own training leaving the burden to the government, communities and the private sector. Finding sufficient support from each is difficult. Corporate social responsibility is a new concept in Latin America. More time and success is need to achieve greater investment. Governments and communities are limited in their abilities. Each sector needs to share the investment as all are stakeholders and all are beneficiaries.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - In 2000, soccer legend Pelé urged senior officials of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to use the power of soccer to affect youth development in Latin America. Pelé reasoned that if soccer can motivate millions of fans, it can be used to develop the lives of youth. In looking at the situation of youth unemployment and the great potential that can be unleashed by increasing employment, the IDB turned to the Partners of the Americas to create and implement an innovative program that brings youth into the formal job market. A Ganar/Vencer was born.
In 2005, Partners brought together business, youth, sports, and community leaders in Rio de Janeiro to identify its six core sports/employment skills: teamwork, communication, discipline, respect; a focus on results and constant self-improvement. Partners then hired a team of education and sports consultants to develop and test its initial program curriculum. The curriculum was then translated from Portuguese to Spanish and adpated for use by groups in Ecuador and Uruguay. In Uruguay, we train lower-division soccer players. Few will ever earn decent wages in soccer so A Ganar provides them with an alternative. In Ecuador we adapted the curriculum to work with developmentally disabled children. Business leaders are now seeking A Ganar as a way to train their current employees. We want to continue to adapt and find new ways to use our program. Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. - Paul uses A Ganar as a way to combine his love of sports with his lifelong commitment to Latin American development and promoting volunteerism.
Contact Information:
Paul Teeple
Director, A Ganar / Vencer Program Partners of the Americas (International Non-Profit Volunteer organization) Discussions about this entry |
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Dear Mr. Teeple:
Thank you for participating in this collaborative competition. We value the time and effort you’ve put forth and we would like to offer you feedback and some thought provoking questions from our Evaluation Team.
The model is well-developed and unique in using sport to teach job skills to disadvantaged children. The initiative’s impact on both boys and girls has been considerable, and funding has been consistent. However, support from the private sector and governments would reinforce the prospect of long-term sustainability.
Please use this input as both potential insights into your innovations, as well as constructive ideas for how to improve or grow your organization.
Warm regards,
The Changemakers Team
Paul,
Good luck to you and Ganar/VENCER & Partners of the Americas! As a Coordinator of the First Medical & Health Specialist program for the US Peace Corps, I was delighted when you joined the US Peace Corps, but I'm glad you're back working with Partners! It's been 5 years that I've been retired so I don't get to Washington DC much. Hopefully when I'm there we can get together over a cup of coffee!
Cheers!
Bryan Cooke
1933 21 Avenue
Greeley, CO 80631
Anything Paul Teeple supports is worth backing 100%!
How are you Paul? It's been quite some time since you left Partners for another great organization...
The US Peace Corps! I coordinated their First Medical & Health Specialist Training Program in Malaysia
for them!
May you and Ganar/Vencer win the prize! Good luck!
Bryan Cooke
Colorado-Minas Gerais Partner
1933 21st Avenue
Greeley, Colorado 80631
I vote for this team since it is my opinion that they are doing a fantastic job for youths.
I vote for Vencer project
T vote for Vencer project
Dear Tyler,
Thanks for your comments and questions.
Because vocational training differs based on market needs, how sport is included in that phase differs on each course. First, there is a tremendous carry-over from our Phase 1 training focusing on developing employability skills through sports. Vocational trainers continue to use sports examples in their classroom and workshop activities and apply them to the specific job skills. For example, they may talk about how the lack of teamwork and discipline in a game can result in the other team scoring a goal. In a work setting where youth are learning to use dangerous tools, the lack of teamwork and discipline can be serious injury. In other instances groups of participants work in teams and prepare competitions to demonstrate how well they've learned a skill. In other instances, guest speakers from the world of sport visit youth during technical training to talk about staying focused, the constant need to develop technical skills, etc........
Getting businesses involved can be tough, especially when the culture of corporate responsability is not strong and when they have hundreds of applicants for every job opening. We had to start by appealing to chambers of commerce and industry and those business leaders who could see the program's potential. Another approach is to talk about how our youth have strong employability skills. All businesses have a hard time hiring people who show up for work on time, are honest, work well with others, and can be trusted to get the job done. When we promote that aspect of our program and our participants, businesses are more willing to open their doors to internships. In Brazil, most businesses are required to hire apprentices. We help them fulfill their requirement in a socially responsible way while helping deserving and needy youth and
providing them access to potentially great employees.
Paul Teeple
International Director, A Ganar/Vencer Program
Partners of the Americas
Dear Paul,
I am wondering if you can provide an example of how soccer characteristics are implemented into a vocational training program. I understand the concept but would love to hear about something a bit concrete.
And it appears that this program aims to tie in a lot of local businesses to facilitate internships, what are the incentive structures in place for these local businesses to get involved in this program. I understand now that it has been highly successful and exported to other countries outside Brazil but what was the buy in when it was just starting out?
Thank you, I look forward to your response!
Tyler Ahn
Changemakers
Rafael,
Thank you for your kind words and most importantly for your work as a mentor. Your comments echo those of other mentors. It really is a win-win situation when someone volunteers his/her time and provides a positive influence in the life of a young person. We all can use mentors in our lives. For youth in the most vulnerable situations and communities, the presence of a mentor is especially important. I'm sure that the Vencer and A Ganar youth will one day gladly repay you and others by being mentors to others.
Paul Teeple
International Director, A Ganar/Vencer Program
Partners of the Americas
My name is Rafael Pinto and I participated in the Vencer program as a mentor this year in Rio de Janeiro. The Vencer team is doing a fantastic job in developing, organizing and implementing this program in Rio de Janeiro.
As a mentor, I was able to become more engaged with the youth in my city, along with providing them with knowledge and lessons learned from my own working experiences. The little we can do can go a long way and produce a huge impact in the lives of these young people, both in their personal and professional development.
I learned a lot as well from these young people, but the most important lesson I will take from this experience of being a mentor to these incredible participants of the Vencer program, is that they want what we all want in life, which includes stability, a job and a family. But they only need some new opportunities to be presented into their lives (like these trainings through the Vencer program provide), which can help unleash their potential and reach for their dreams. Vencer can help them attain these goals because they open the doors for these participants and offer them the option to excel with new work skills, while improving their own personal development skills.
Rafael Pinto
American University
We are partners in the program VENCER, and Senai, an Institution of Professional Education recognized for excellence of its methodology for job training for industries, noted the gains to incorporate the methodology of developing personal skills of Vencer in low-income communities, many of them under the influence the traffic of drugs.
Claudia Jeunon
Claudia,
Our partnership with SENAI has been important to the programs' success. By linking with the educational branch of the Rio state Federation of Industies, we have a important platform where we can demonstrate the effectiveness of a sports-based methodolgoy within job training programs. As you and many others have pointed out, technical job skills are not enough to ensure success in the labor market. However, youth who bring sports skills such as how to work in a team, how to communicate effectively, etc... do make a difference.
I also think that because we have strongly identified our values within the sports context, youth do a better job making them their own. Just as players on the world's best teams do, they wear the Vencer shirt with pride and identify the values and skills that make them different.
Thanks for the many contributions you personally and everyone at SENAI have made to this program. And here's to many more youth who overcome their challenges and find a positive and productive career path.
Paul Teeple
International Director, A Ganar/Vencer Program
Partners of the Americas