El Salvador
Strategies for youth employment
- Strategies for youth employment
- Yes
Youth employment strategy planned in the next 2 years
- Discussions within the government
- Yes
- Consultations with national-level stakeholders (e.g. employers’ and workers’ associations, youth councils, etc.)
- Yes
- A draft strategy already exists
- Yes
- Other (please specify)
- No
Countries with national action plans for youth employment
- Monitoring framework (timeline and activity/outcome indicators, e.g. youth labour market indicators)
- Yes
- Funding (indicative budget to implement the plan)
- Yes
- Institutional responsibilities (e.g. ministries/agencies in charge of specific planned activities )
- Yes
- Other, specify
- No
Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
- Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
- Yes
Additional information:
The Government of El Salvador, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, reports that the implementation of the My First Job Programme (Mi Primer Trabajo) has been made possible with the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and World Vision, which is responsible for implementation. These organisations have jointly secured funding for apprenticeship contracts with the aim of promoting decent work through this modality. Each programme participant receives the national minimum wage for a period of five months. UNHCR covers the first three salary payments, while the host company is responsible for the remaining two. In addition, UNHCR finances social security healthcare coverage for the entire five-month period.Youth in the national development / employment strategy
- Youth in the national development / employment strategy
- Yes
Additional information:
The My First Job Programme (Mi Primer Trabajo) is an initiative jointly developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MTPS) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It serves as a youth employment insertion strategy targeting individuals aged 18 to 35, using the apprenticeship contract model. This approach facilitates the integration of young people without prior work experience into formal employment by providing them with their first job opportunity. The programme is currently in its fourth cycle of implementation.Countries with national goals for youth employment
- Countries with national goals for youth employment
- Yes
Additional information:
To support the labour market integration of young people aged 18 to 35 through the implementation of the My First Job Programme (Mi Primer Trabajo), by fostering the development of skills and formal work experience through apprenticeship contracts that provide economic stability and access to social benefits, including healthcare coverage through the Salvadoran Social Security Institute (ISSS).Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
- Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
- Yes
Policy areas in national youth employment strategies
- Macroeconomic and Sectoral policies
- Yes
- Enterprise Development
- Yes
- Education, Training and skills development
- Yes
- Labour Demand
- Yes
- Labour Law and Legislation
- Yes
- Labour Market Policies
- Yes
- Other (please specify)
- No
Social partners' inclusion in the youth employment strategy
- Workers
- Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
- Fully involved
- Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
- Fully involved
- Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
- Fully involved
- Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
- Fully involved
- Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
- Fully involved
- Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
- Fully involved
- Employers
- Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
- Fully involved
- Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
- Fully involved
- Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
- Fully involved
- Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
- Fully involved
- Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
- Fully involved
- Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
- Fully involved
Youth-led organizatios' inclusion in the national strategy
- Fully involved
- No
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- No
- Consulted
- Yes
- Informed
- No
- Not involved
- No
Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
- Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
- Yes
Additional information:
2025 In El Salvador, various national initiatives and partnerships have been adopted to promote youth employment, working together with international and local organisations to address the specific needs of this population group. UNHCR and ILO with the ‘My First Job’ programme; a programme led by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MTPS), receives technical and financial support from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The partnerships focus on facilitating the labour inclusion of young people in vulnerable situations, including refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons. The programme promotes hiring through modalities such as apprenticeship contracts, providing technical training and access to formal employment. Swisscontact collaborates on projects aimed at the labour reintegration of young returning migrants. This partnership facilitates their reintegration through training that strengthens their technical skills and employability in national productive sectors. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) works with young people to develop soft skills (communication, teamwork, leadership) and specific technical skills, preparing them to meet the demands of the labour market. These initiatives reflect a comprehensive approach, where national and international partnerships strengthen efforts to improve the employability of young people, especially those in vulnerable situations. 2024 For the implementation of the different programmes, coordination alliances have been made with different private companies, such as Swisscontact El Salvador. In addition, there are alliances with international organisations such as: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which has supported initiatives related to the support of returned migrants and internally displaced youth who are in search of their first job and avoid unnecessary migration.Inclusiveness of vulnerable groups in national strategies
- Women
- Yes
- Migrant Workers
- Yes
- NEETs
- Yes
- People with disabilities
- Yes
- Low skilled workers
- Yes
- Rural workers
- Yes
- Other (please specify)
- Yes
Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
- Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
- Yes
Additional information:
2025 It is reported that with regard to international organisations promoting youth employment, this government department has so far received support from: 1. International Labour Organisation (ILO) 2. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 3. Swisscontact El Salvador 4. Catholic Relief Services 5. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2024: It is reported that with regard to the International Organisations for the Promotion of Youth Employment, so far this Ministry has received the support of: 1. International Labour Organisation (ILO). 2. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). ---------- 2020 - ILO supports the elaboration of the decent national policy and the national learning strategy. - GIZ support for technical strengthening - EUROSOCIAL financial support for the development of actions - Bridges to Employment/USAID youth coordination work