UNICEF's 1MiO initiative generates over 500,000 opportunities for youth in Brazil in four years
This initiative is in partnership with Silatech and other partners from the private and public sectors, civil society, and UN agencies.
Brasilia, 20 August 2024: The "One Million Opportunities" (1MiO) initiative from UNICEF Brazil and Generation Unlimited has provided over 500,000 opportunities for young people to develop their skills and access decent livelihoods since its launch in 2020.
Launched in October 2020, 1Mio is an innovative multi-sector partnership aiming to create opportunities for skill development, learning, internships, employment, and civic participation for vulnerable youth. It is supported by multiple strategic partners including Silatech, and private sector partners, as well as the Federal Government, civil society, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the UN Global Compact.
In 2023, 1MiO achieved remarkable success, generating 232,743 job placements in the private sector, skill development opportunities for 12,832 youth, and reaching 2 million young people through mobilization efforts. Additionally, 105,358 young people registered on the 1MiO platform, and the ecosystem expanded with 56 new member companies. These accomplishments highlight the initiative's significant impact on youth employability and skill-building in Brazil.
"I was looking for the opportunity to enter the labour market and apply the knowledge I had acquired throughout high school," shared Mireya De La Rosa de Almeida, a 22-year-old 1Mio beneficiary from Rio de Janeiro. She now works at Star One, a Claro group company, in the Satellite Operations Centre (COSAT), supporting technicians and monitor satellite links to intervene in the event of failures. “I got this job thanks to the Dupla Escola project, sponsored by the Claro Institute in partnership with the Rio de Janeiro State Department of Education. The programme integrated high school with a technical-vocational course in telecommunications.” After graduation, Claro offered the opportunity for all students to take part in job interviews, leading to Mireya’s first interview and job at the age of 19.
“Today I'm studying Production Engineering and my dream is to continue growing professionally, to continue acquiring knowledge and to become a specialist in my field. It will provide financial stability for me and my family. The job I have today is aligned with this dream, because every day I gain more experience and mature in the field.”
Tackling the unemployment challenge for youth
Brazil faces significant challenges regarding youth employment. After the 2015 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of 18 to 24-year-olds who are neither studying nor working is the second highest in the world. The situation has had a profound impact on the country’s social and economic development. In 2023, Brazil registered 5.2 million unemployed youth, of whom 55% are women and Black or Brown youth (data from the Ministry of Labour and Employment of Brazil).
Additionally, the country has high rates of child and youth poverty, with over 60% of children and adolescents up to 17 years old living in poverty. School exclusion and the lack of basic opportunities contribute to this cycle of exclusion and poverty. During the pandemic, 5.1 million adolescents and young people were left without access to school activities, and almost 47% of the population over 25 years old did not complete high school.
In this context, the One Million Opportunities initiative, created by UNICEF, emerged to tackle these challenges head-on by promoting productive inclusion and skill development among Brazilian youth. “Since its launch, 1MiO has contributed to providing learning, internship, and employment opportunities, helping to reduce youth unemployment and transform the life of thousands of young people,” explains Gustavo Heidrich Oliveira, UNICEF Programme Officer and coordinator of the initiative.
Hassan Ali Al-Mulla, CEO of Silatech, stated: “Young people are the key to unlocking the future and developing prosperous societies. Through our joint work in fostering entrepreneurship, nurturing innovation, and connecting young people to employment opportunities, we strive to create a powerful ecosystem that enables youth to reach their full potential. We are confident that our mission can be achieved through fruitful international collaborations and partnerships. Hence, our joint partnership with UNICEF-Generation Unlimited (GenU) to implement 1MiO is an impactful testament of our shared mission in promoting productive inclusion and opening career pathways for young talent to thrive. Together, we are committed to connect more young talent to impactful employment opportunities aiming to transform their lives for better future.”
By focusing on skill and competency development in five categories (foundational, job-specific, transferrable, digital, and entrepreneurial), 1MiO has equipped young people with needful skills to be better prepared for the workforce. Additionally, the initiative promotes entrepreneurship and income generation, offering viable alternatives for those facing social and economic exclusion. Through strategic partnerships with companies and organisations, 1MiO has managed to create a more inclusive and equitable environment, significantly contributing to Brazil's social and economic development.
To promote productive inclusion of young people in the workforce with access to decent work in a protected environment, 1MiO has offered 226,229 learning, internship, and employment opportunities in partner companies that have been accessed by vulnerable youth aged 18 to 29.
Beyond generating opportunities, 1MiO has developed an engagement methodology for the private sector to ensure that companies are prepared to welcome, retain, and develop young talent. The promotion of cultural transformation within companies is a central focus, carried out through the "eight steps" to ensure the productive inclusion of the most vulnerable youth. In total, over 800 awareness meetings have been held with companies, addressing topics such as diversity and inclusion, mentoring, career development, and support in cases of violence and rights violations.
Currently, there are 185 partner companies, 56 of which joined in 2023, including some of Brazil's largest employers. These companies have autonomous access to the 1MiO platform, allowing them to publish and promote the training and professional development opportunities offered without mediation.
Furthermore, the first 1MiO Opportunities Fair, held in São Paulo, was a significant milestone, bringing together around 400 young people and offering over 2,000 job vacancies, demonstrating the private sector’s ongoing commitment to promoting youth employability. Through these actions, 1MiO has managed not only to increase the number of employed young people but also to foster a more inclusive and diverse work environment.
In Brazil, the initiative has achieved many important milestones:
- Total opportunities created: The 1MiO initiative has generated 512,870 opportunities, of which 186,454 were for skill development and 326,416 for decent work.
- Employment placements: In 2023, a total of 232,743 learning, internship, and formal employment opportunities were filled by vulnerable youth, significantly exceeding the period's target.
- Expansion of 1MiO: The initiative now includes 170 companies, 1,834 municipalities, 8 urban centres, 7 states, and 35 social organisations.
- 1MiO Opportunity Fair: The first in-person fair held in São Paulo brought together around 400 young people and offered over 2,000 job vacancies, as well as workshops, courses, and other cultural and educational activities.
Interventions and impact: 1MiO has been instrumental in fostering entrepreneurship, income generation, and interpersonal skill development among Brazilian youth, contributing to improving their living standards and promoting sustainable economic growth. Productive inclusion is one of the initiative's main focuses, promoting learning and technical training to combat child labour and informality, which affects 51% of women and 56% of black and brown youth.
Partnerships and engagement:
- National Pact for the Productive Inclusion of Youth: Launched in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the UN Global Compact, this pact aims to foster public policies and social dialogue for employability and income generation for vulnerable youth.
- Partner Companies: Since the launch of 1MiO, 292,489 learning, internship, and employment opportunities have been filled in partner companies, with 56 new companies joining the initiative in 2023.
- Training and Development: The "Passport to Earning" platform was launched to offer free certified courses to young people, with the goal of training 300,000 youth by 2025.
Social and economic impact: Through the creation of educational opportunities, vocational training, and access to the labour market, the 1MiO initiative is helping to reverse the cycle of exclusion and poverty that affects millions of young people in Brazil. Learning, as a primary pathway to initial employment, has shown promising results, with 68% of young participants in platform courses securing formal jobs after their experience.
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About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
About Generation Unlimited
Launched by the UN Secretary-General at the 2018 UN General Assembly, Generation Unlimited is a leading global Public-Private-Youth Partnership on a mission to skill and connect the world’s 1.8 billion young people to opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and social impact. Anchored in UNICEF, the partnership brings together global organizations and leaders including Heads of State, CEOs, Heads of UN agencies, and civil society champions with young people to co-create and deliver innovative solutions on a global scale.
About Silatech
Silatech is an international, non-profit, non-governmental, socio-economic development organisation with a mission to connect young people to economic opportunities through innovative employment and entrepreneurship initiatives. Our vision is a thriving world in which young people have access to real jobs and contribute actively to the socioeconomic development of their societies.
Silatech was launched by Her Highness, Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser in 2008 with youth at the centre of her vision, driven by the belief that when youth are empowered and invested in, they can become active agents of change within their communities and countries, creating the socioeconomic shifts that are needed to bring about stability, and sustainable economic growth.
Since its inception, through its network of partners, Silatech has connected over 2 million young men and women to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities globally and is committed to further connect over 5 million youth to real jobs. Silatech and its partners implement a comprehensive approach and utilise holistic methodologies that support the creation of ecosystems that are conducive to youth socioeconomic empowerment.
