SCHOOL OF TRADES AND LEADERSHIP

Social integration and vocational training programme for children in care

The School of Trades and Leadership is a programme coordinated by the Cambiando Destinos Foundation, an organisation founded and run by adults who were formerly in the care of the Chilean state protection system.

The initiative, supported by the Azvi Group Foundation and COINTER Chile, has been launched to offer a genuine alternative to young people living in care homes in highly vulnerable situations, where exposure to networks of exploitation and drug trafficking poses a constant threat to their development. The main aim is to equip these teenagers, who live in the Chilean city of Valdivia, with the technical and personal skills they need to cope independently when they leave the care system upon reaching the age of majority.

The school’s educational model combines technical training with academic support, and holds accreditations recognised by the Chilean Ministry of Education (MINEDUC). This ensures that graduates obtain a regulated qualification that is valid for entry into the formal labour market.

The technical subjects taught include carpentry, electrical work, bricklaying, cookery and beauty therapy.