Vitrina Solidaria opens 3rd edition of labor, business training program
Puerto Rico-based nonprofit Vitrina Solidaria announced that applications for the third edition of its labor and business training program, “La Y en el Yunque,” are now open for the program that will run from Feb. 22, 2023, through June 23, 2023.
Vitrina Solidaria also said applications for the small business incubators and accelerators El Yunque Emprende- Aceleración Empresarial are also available, as part of its commitment to start a new phase of training unemployed people and entrepreneurs
“With these programs we want to develop a solid and supportive economy in the eastern region of Puerto Rico, so, we encourage you to apply now because space to participate in our training programs is limited,” said Raquel Skerrett-Escalera, Vitrina Solidaria’s executive director.
“La Y en el Yunque” and “El Yunque Emprende” accelerator programs are free of charge, as they are funded by CDBG-DR recovery funds from the Puerto Rico Housing Department through the Workforce Training Program and the Small Business Incubator and Accelerator Program, she said.
Upon completion of the “La Y en el Yunque” program, participants will have certifications of the specialty area that the person has selected, like agroecology, renewable energy, outdoor recreation and in recreation and sports, as well as a certification in First aid.
The requirements to be part of training program, are to be over 18 years old, reside in one of the 10 municipalities that make up the eastern region of Puerto Rico (Canóvanas, Naguabo, Humacao, Ceiba, Las Piedras, Juncos, Fajardo, Luquillo, Loíza and Río Grande), and be unemployed or working part-time.
The deadline to apply for the La Y en el Yunque program is Jan. 27, 2023, and the deadline to apply to the El Yunque Emprende program is Feb. 3, 2023.
The second edition of the business training program of the “El Yunque Emprende” accelerator will begin on Mar. 7, 2023, mostly in person at the El Portal visitor center of El Yunque National Forest.
The cycle will focus on the topics of gastronomy, local production, circular economy, and sustainable tourism.
Each participant will complete a total of 64 hours of required training and complementary internship hours with the goal of taking their business to the next level, by developing a solidarity business Canvas and an Annual Action Plan as the main tool of the program.
The business accelerator program gives the benefit of exposure of its products and brand in different sales channels such as Pop-Up, Vitrina Solidaria stores, educational activities, among others.
“At Vitrina Solidaria we’re committed to the development of small and medium-sized solidarity enterprises in Puerto Rico, and to job retraining,” said Skerrett.
