Wilma Roozenboom, manager of the Corporate Partnerships department of Plan: "The cooperation with ABN AMRO should lead to financial independence of LABS. The bank will assist in making a business plan for the programme, in order to gradually diminish the financial support in the coming three years."
LABS attracts unemployed youngsters between 17 and 25 years from poor neighbourhoods, that are eager to find employment. LABS provides classroom training, but also a business-to-youth (B2Y) network, which links the industry and the students. Through the tailor-made curriculum, students learn exactly the skills that are needed to find a job. This successful concept has been developed in India by Dr. Reddy's Foundation and is now moving to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Wilma Roozenboom: "Based on a labour market survey, LABS focuses in Hanoi on job-oriented training courses for three sectors,information technology-enabled services, hospitality and marketing/sales. Basic computer literacy, spoken English and life skills are taught across the sectors. The industry is heavily involved, both in defining the curriculum and in training the skills. As a result, around ninety percent of the students found a job after finishing the courses of LABS. Employees of the ABN AMRO branch in Hanoi will participate in the programme through mentorship and skills training."
The ABN AMRO Foundation, with a yearly budget of 5 million Euro, started in December 2005 and focuses on eradicating poverty by stimulating entrepreneurship. The Foundation is legally independent of the bank itself, which implies that the projects or funds are of no financial benefit for any of the business units of the bank.
Plan Nederland belongs to a worldwide development organisation, that carries out child-oriented projects in 46 countries.
P+ Webtip: Plan Nederland and ABN Amro