Free courses for migrants at the University of Azuay

On September 27, the seven courses for migrants began at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Azuay, which will culminate on December 11 with a fair in which the knowledge acquired by the participants will be presented.

The program is called “Educa Sin Límites” and it was born from a conversation between António Vitorino, Training Director of the World Organization for Migration (IOM-UN); Andrés López, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, and Fernanda Rosales, Coordinator of the School of Food Engineering.

“Because Cuenca is one of the cities that receives more immigrants in the country, the objective of this project is to train people who are in a state of mobility to obtain a certificate in order to get a job or do his own business ”, explains Rosales.

The University provides the space and the courses are free, since the IOM, through foreign donors, pays for these projects, this includes the costs of the raw materials with which it works. Approximately 115 people participate, of which 70% are immigrants and 30% Ecuadorians.

There are five food workshops: bakery, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, cocoa and chocolate, fruits and vegetables, meat. And two of mechanics: basic mechanics and electromechanics. The courses are given by University professors and former graduate students.

“As part of the program, they asked us that on Saturdays (days of the workshops) we take care of the children that the participants bring because they have no one to entrust them to. For that we joined the School of Education; the interns of the race work with the infants in what is the playful part and reinforcement. In addition, there is a group of students from the Faculty of Medicine who carry out medical check-ups, ”says Rosales.

“We are currently seeing if we will start with new projects next year, since we have had a very good reception. There were about 300 registered, it was chosen from 115 to 120 by means of a file in which it was not taken into account whether they were regularized or not, since that was a condition of the IOM. But it was asked if they had any qualifications, if they were working and based on that information, it was analyzed who were the most suitable to receive the course ”, concluded the teacher.

UDA Correspondent