PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Energía y Talento MX project aims to boost youth employability in Mexico by improving technical, professional, and soft skills in strategic sectors such as renewable energy and sustainable mobility. The initiative is specifically aimed at young Mexicans between the ages of 18 and 30 who are in situations of social vulnerability or poverty, incorporating a gender equity approach and ensuring at least 50% female participation.

The project initially focuses on the states of Sonora and Nuevo León, key regions for the energy transition, solar energy, electromobility, and industrial development. Through a school-to-work model inspired by the Norwegian Jobbjansen initiative, the project combines training, support, mentoring, professional internships, and collaboration with companies, educational institutions, civil society organizations, and industrial clusters.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Strengthening youth competencies: The project aims to update, create, and implement curricula and educational modules focused on renewable energy, sustainable mobility, soft skills, and environmental awareness. Training will be delivered using innovative methodologies such as gamification, hands-on learning, and the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence.

2. Labor market integration through a school-to-work model: Energía y Talento MX will adapt the Norwegian Jobbjansen model to facilitate the transition of vulnerable youth into employment. The goal is to train and support young people through a program that combines intensive training, mentoring, psychosocial support, and work placements at companies in the energy, automotive, and sustainable mobility sectors.

3. Advocacy and public policy: The project will generate public policy recommendations, outcome reports, and best practices to strengthen multisectoral partnerships and contribute to policies promoting youth employment inclusion, gender equity, and sustainable development in Mexico.

ACTIVITIES:

The Energía y Talento MX project will address these objectives through:

▪ Design and update of training programmes: Technical and socio-emotional training programmes will be developed and updated in renewable energy, sustainable mobility and soft skills, in collaboration with educational institutions, technical schools, universities and actors from the productive ecosystem.

▪ Implementation of the school-to-work model: The Jobbjansen model will be adapted to the Mexican context through training cohorts. Each cohort will follow a four-month structure, including one month of intensive training and three months of work placements in companies, combined with mentoring and weekly psychosocial follow-up.

▪ Creation of the Talento y Energía MX digital platform: An interactive digital platform will be developed to host certified courses, educational modules, employability resources, a vacancy repository and a virtual assistant to support young people in their transition towards employment.

▪ Cascade funding for local CSOs: A cascade funding mechanism will support civil society organisations working with vulnerable young people, helping them implement inclusive methodologies, mentoring activities and socio-emotional support.

▪ Communication, visibility and sustainability actions: The project will include digital campaigns, newsletters, videos, social media, events, policy dialogues, a final high-level event in Mexico City and the presentation of results and public policy recommendations.