The work situation in the country is catastrophic: over 70% of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 do not have a job. Real jobs are few, so many young people are turning to the black market and it’s only a small step from there to petty criminality. In addition, due to lack of education, often accompanied by frustration and low self-esteem, most young people have difficulty communicating if there is a difficulty that affects them in the workplace and some have recourse to aggressive behaviour.
However, thanks to the various training and accompanying systems, Via Don Bosco supports more than 1,000 Congolese students a year, and the combination of a stable environment and adequate training gives them the opportunity to calm down and feel appreciated. Their Salesian education allows them to acquire a set of values and skills to make them better integrated into society.
On the other hand, since a good diploma does not always mean a good job, some placement offices have also been created, some even directly within Salesian centres - and they are very busy.
Students can then contact the companies and agree on a traineeship and visit companies to get an idea of their internal operations. Thanks to these visits, the agriculture and carpentry courses have also been modified in such a way as to be more responsive to the demands of the labour market.
All this hard work brings its fruit: Independent evaluations show that young people from Salesian schools are considered honest, reliable, tolerant, and communicative. In short, they have that attitude that, coupled with solid technical knowledge, means that employers are impressed by them.
Lastly, in 2015, Via Don Bosco started the "School Business", whereby students, in addition to learning, generate profits for the school itself, which can thus improve its services.
