Santiago – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, and the Government of Chile held two events this month in Santiago, Chile’s capital, and the northern city of Antofogasta with the aim of informing refugees and migrants arriving in Chile from Venezuela about its process of labour certification, access to government training and financial literacy orientation. 

These seminars are part of the new collaborative partnership between institutions whose intent is to jointly coordinate certification of labour competencies of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, strengthen access to information and provide leads to labour opportunities.

“This partnership is strategic, as it benefits people to find a job in Chile through proper certification, and protects employers to have a certified labour force,” said IOM Chile Chief of Mission Norberto Girón. “This synergy is an important step in the construction of a more inclusive country where employment conditions for refugees and migrants from Venezuela are improved."

ChileValora is also lending its expertise to the agenda.  The Commission of the National Certification System of Labour Competencies is a public service agency related to the Presidency of the Republic through the state’s Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. It operates jointly operating with CUT (Labour Union) and CPC (Confederation of Production and Commerce).

“Through this initiative, ChileValora contributes to the process of integrating the Venezuelans into the country, and hand in hand with IOM, it strengthens the employability of those seeking a new life and enables them to be a contribution to our society,” explained the Executive Secretary of ChileValora, Francisco Silva.

Added Silva: “In the fulfilment of this project, the certification of labour competencies, aligned with the needs of the national productive sectors, is key for all because it also means contributing to the growth of the country,” he added.

Nationals from Haiti, Peru and Colombia also participated in the seminars. The sessions included a presentation by ChileValora experts on the importance of the certification of labour competencies to develop a business and ways to gain access to it. It also included a presentation on alternatives to access training and financing through the National Training and Employment Service (SENCE), in addition to a presentation on ways to integrate into the Chilean banking system, delivered by professionals from BancoEstado.

These initiatives are part of the IOM Regional Action Plan launched in April this year to support governments hosting nationals from Venezuela in the Americas and the Caribbean. The Action Plan aims at strengthening the regional response to flows of Venezuelans, supporting the efforts that governments have initiated across the region.

Both seminars were funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) from the United States Department of State.

For more information please contact José Estay, IOM Chile, Tel: + (56) 2 2963 3710, Email: jestay@iom.int