Social and Labor Exclusion: Programs and Resources For Inclusion

This article studies the main resources and programs of socio-labor insertion for the adolescent and youth population, which are implemented by public and private entities in Spain, Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil. For this purpose, the study has a methodological design with a qualitative approach and descriptive scope. The information was collected through the application of four focus groups, one for each country, in which 17 socio-educational agents from public and private entities with socio-labor insertion programs participated. In this way, the information was analyzed by general categories, through a content analysis, which emerged from the discourse of the socio-educational agents who participated in the focus group. These are: a) programs focused on occupational courses for the adolescent and youth population that foster links and emancipation, b) social skills training programs, c) job training programs, d) employability, entrepreneurship and business policy programs, e) orientation and access to rights programs. Also, the needs identified for inclusion were considered as a subcategory, due to the reiteration of this aspect in the discourse of the people participating in the focus groups. The main results of the study show the existence of problems of socio-la-bor exclusion of the adolescent and youth population in the countries mentioned, such as structural situations and inequity between territories. It also highlights the existence of some programs and resources for socio-labor inclusion with different degrees of scope and impact on the populations, mainly focused on: social or soft skills, youth empowerment, occupational courses, employability, among others. However, it is evident that it is still necessary to contin-ue working jointly with public and private administrations to ensure coverage in socio-educa-tional programs that allow the adolescent and young population to learn about relevant tools and resources for socio-labor insertion.