Entrepreneur Finds Highly Committed Employees by Hiring Youth from Low-Income Backgrounds

Victor Mercol, a 52-year-old businessman, defied colleagues' expectations by hiring young individuals from low-income backgrounds through the Empujar foundation, discovering they are exceptionally committed and loyal employees. Mercol, who runs Intec Software, a company specializing in management software for SMEs, shared that these young hires bring a unique dedication to their roles.

Mercol recounted how colleagues advised him against training these individuals, predicting they would leave for other jobs. However, the opposite proved true. "Not only do they continue as employees, but they also have a commitment that is contagious to the rest of the team," Mercol stated from his offices in Buenos Aires' Recoleta neighborhood.

Elba Delgado, 24, is one such employee. She works as an implementation consultant at Intec Software, a company with 35 years of experience. Delgado, who studied Business Administration, arrived at the company through Empujar, a foundation dedicated to training underprivileged youth for the workforce. She now dresses professionally, a stark contrast to her upbringing in the Barrio Mugica, popularly known as Villa 31.

Empujar's findings support Mercol's experience. A recent report by the foundation analyzed 355 young people who secured employment after participating in their training programs. Approximately 18 months post-placement, 68% remained with the companies that hired them. Florencia Segal, head of Institutional Development at Empujar, contextualized these results by noting that recent studies indicate one in three young people plan to change jobs within the next year. Segal highlighted that while this generation seeks professional development and meaningful projects, Empujar's data demonstrates that when companies offer these conditions and provide strong support during the integration process, young individuals build sustainable professional relationships.