Partnership in Opportunities for Employment through Technology in the Americas (POETA) Eastern Caribbean Initiative - Final Technical Report

The program, Partnership in Opportunities for Employment through Technology in the Americas, is a hemispheric initiative that provides information and communication technologies (ICTs) training to marginalized populations in Latin America and the Caribbean. POETA began in 2004 as a pilot project in Guatemala through the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Program to increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities through ICT skills training. In its first year, two POETA centers trained more than 500 people and more than 25 local businesses became partners of the program. As a result of this success, Microsoft agreed to expand the program and the General Secretariat of the OAS pledged to support the initiative. This three way partnership became “POETA”. Today, POETA centers operate in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing at-risk youth and people with disabilities with job ready training in information and communication technologies to facilitate their effective social and economic inclusion. In the Eastern Caribbean, POETA is currently providing critical training in information technology, job readiness and civic education to at-risk youth at six centers in six countries.1 At-risk youth represent a significant development challenge for the Eastern Caribbean states where POETA operates. Young people in the region are increasingly characterized by high unemployment rates; involvement in crime; and engagement in sexually risky behavior. The POETA model counters youth tendency to risky behavior by providing them with technological, social and decision-making skills necessary to overcome the challenges they face. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) provided additional support to this important initiative through a project which included research and knowledge sharing activities to investigate and promote the impact of ICTs on at-risk youth in the Eastern Caribbean. The project effectively began in January 2008 and ended in June 2009. This report outlines the major findings from data-gathering and knowledge sharing activities undertaken during this project. The report presents these findings by outlining the outcomes achieved, activities undertaken, and outputs produced. The report also provides recommendations to policymakers in the region on how ICTs can be better used to address the needs of at-risk youth in the region