Creating Opportunities: Solange’s Path to Her First Job
How training, youth participation, and access to opportunities helped Solange secure her first job
“Did I really get it? Is the job mine?” It was with tears of joy that Solange Sampaio, 20, received the news that she had been accepted for her first job: a position as a young apprentice at a power tools company in Benevides city, where she lives with her mother and younger sister. Her emotion is completely understandable. The journey toward this achievement began in 2022 when Solange was 18 and had just graduated from high school. It was time to think about her next steps, but the path ahead seemed neither clear nor easy to follow.
“I had just finished school, and I knew I couldn’t afford a private university. But I also didn’t think I could get into a public one. It all felt so far out of reach for me.”
At this point, opportunities began to appear, allowing Solange to take her first steps toward building this future. She was able to enroll in a free university prep course offered by the local government. There, she got involved with a newly launched initiative focused on promoting civic engagement among youth: the Adolescent Citizenship Hub (NUCA). This initiative, created by municipalities like Benevides, is part of the UNICEF Seal programme.
Being part of the group, Solange says she felt a true 'spark' ignite within her. “That’s where I started to find direction. We talked about the future and what we wanted to achieve. It was also there that I found out about the courses being offered,” she shares.
In partnership with 1 Million Opportunities (1MiO), a UNICEF Generation Unlimited initiative aimed at promoting education and decent job opportunities for adolescents and young people, Benevides municipality was also offering training programmes. Enrolled in the courses, Solange was taking even more steps toward achieving her dreams.
“I took courses in computer skills, diction and public speaking, and female entrepreneurship... They made all the difference because before that, I didn’t have any experience to put on my résumé. I wasn’t prepared for a company to see me as a young person with skills.”
To create opportunities for young people in situations of social vulnerability across more than 1,800 municipalities in the country, 1MiO relies on strategic partnerships with Accenture, Iberdrola, Microsoft Elevate, Education Above All Foundation (Silatech), BMW, and the Arymax Foundation.
Opportunities
About a year later, she achieved her first major milestone, a result of all her efforts. Solange started studying Scenic Production at the Federal University of Pará, becoming the first person in her family to attend a public university. But her journey didn’t stop there. A few months after starting college, she was able to apply for a young apprentice position. The knowledge she had gained through the training programmes proved to be even more valuable — contributing to securing her first job without having to give up her studies.“When I went to the job interview, I already felt completely prepared. I knew what to say and how to act in a work environment. I had received the tools, you know? To pave my own path. And thankfully, I got the opportunity,” she shares.
Solange was on the last day of her apprenticeship when she spoke with UNICEF. She was also in her second year of university. “Now, I feel more confident about getting a job. And that’s really important for young people—to grow, gain experience, and eventually secure a stable job, continue my studies, and support my family,” she shared.
She also remains actively involved with the city's youth participation group. In 2024, she took on an even more significant role when she was elected as one of the youth representatives in the city's Child and Adolescent Rights Council (CMDCA), a body responsible for discussing and implementing policies that protect children’s and adolescents’ rights. In this role, she hopes to inspire other young people. “I try to show the power of youth because we have a voice. We see the challenges in society, and we want to help,” she says.
And this mindset goes beyond her work with the Council—it extends to all the opportunities that have helped her build a successful path in both her career and life.
“A lot of people just need a chance. Especially in places like where I live, a marginalized area that struggles with high crime rates… Many young people here just need to realize that they can achieve their dreams. Just like I did, they can make it happen.”
