Don Bosco already long emphasized the importance of these so-called "Life Skills", as fundamental elements to allow each young person not only to acquire technical and professional skills, but also and above all human, moral and spiritual values: without these skills no professional life is successful, and these qualities remain useful not only in the world of work, but in every single aspect of one's life.
The week of formation in Nigeria, in a certain sense, reiterated all this, and underscored that young people can "succeed" in life work only if the training they receive is at and via hands, but first through the head and heart. This is why the participants were offered a manual containing guidelines to follow to accompany young people during and after training.
During the various days of work, at the same time, the importance of "hard skills", which remain a workhorse of Salesian centers and which require constant updating, was of course not forgotten.
Furthermore, given that the specific purpose of the Employment Start-up Offices and the Salesian Vocational Training supply chain is socio-professional integration, time has also been devoted to exploring very specific topics: how to write a letter of motivation or a curriculum vitae, how to do a job interview, the attitudes necessary to avoid and manage any professional conflicts …
In summary, the formation meeting held in Iju clearly showed that for an adequate technical and professional training, one cannot neglect moral, human and spiritual values; and that these, however, must necessarily be combined with technical and professional skills.
Don Bosco's pedagogy is unquestionably in line with the same logic, that of forming "good Christians and honest citizens".
