A. M. More than 500 young people and entrepreneurs from El Salvador joined forces in the campaign “First Opportunities: Promoting Young Talent”. This initiative, led by Cámara de Comercio e Industria (Camarasal) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), aimed to break down stigmas and expand employment opportunities for salvadoran youth. The project was supported by other strategic partners.
As part of the campaign, various awareness-raising activities, conferences, and job fairs were held in San Salvador, Santa Ana, and San Miguel. These events served as a crucial meeting point to connect young talent with the private sector, seeking direct solutions to the problem of youth unemployment in the country.
Forty-one companies participated in the job fairs alone, offering nearly 950 job openings. This created a space for direct connection, which was crucial for young people to have access to real opportunities and for companies to find the talent they need to grow. Collaboration between both sectors was fundamental to the success of the initiative.
The results of the campaign highlight significant challenges. 66.7% of employers admitted that factors such as clothing or place of residence influence their hiring decisions. In addition, 30.7% consider that lack of experience remains the main barrier to youth employment in El Salvador.
Despite the challenges, the campaign had a significant impact on social media, reaching more than 278,000 people and generating more than one million content impressions. There were more than 16,000 interactions and 8,000 clicks on job links, demonstrating a high level of interest in the topic among both young people and the business sector.
Camarasal’s Director of Technical Affairs, Karla Méndez, highlighted the association’s commitment to local talent. She said that the chamber seeks to be a bridge between young people and businesses, generating more opportunities and strengthening the private sector to contribute to the country’s development.
As a legacy, the initiative will leave the PromuéveteSV platform active as a permanent bridge between companies and young people. In addition, a network of partnerships with universities, international organizations, and the private sector was consolidated in order to continue promoting more inclusive and competitive work environments in the country.
