In 2014, TECHO Porsche decided to expand their collaboration to support community organization and self-management. To that end, they identified a common ground between the communities’ need to develop skills that would make them more productive in the labor market and the needs of Porsche, a company in the automotive industry.
Building on this connection and shared goals, Porsche began participating through automotive mechanics workshops. Paraguay and El Salvador were the countries chosen to host the workshops, which are already yielding their first results.
In Paraguay, the 22 graduates worked alongside the consulting firm Consultora de Estudios Económicos & Agropecuarios ( CEE & A) for 160 hours, spread over 27 workdays. Sixteen men and six women from the San Francisco settlement in the town of Limpio became familiar with engines, carburetors, and fuel injectors. The goal was to provide them with the tools needed to acquire new techniques and knowledge that would enable them to access potential job opportunities in the automotive industry.
For its part, El Salvador launched its program with 20 participants between the ages of 17 and 27. The program, run by the Central American Institute of Technology, began on May 20 and will conclude in October, when the students from the communities of El Tanque and El Trébol graduate from the program. This program will combine theoretical sessions with practical experiences so that, after 320 hours of study, participants will have the basic skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
TECHO to engage all social and business sectors to effectively combat poverty. Thus, through various corporate volunteer programs, it promotes action and accountability through tangible activities. These comprehensive programs bring together all company employees to work side by side—colleagues, supervisors, and executives—with community members, creating a unique team-building experience that has a positive impact not only on the community but also on the company itself.