Santi, 17 years old: «I was passing my afternoons lying with my mobile and in class I slept. Today I know that I want to study chemistry »

Santi (17 years) He acknowledges ABC that studying that a very bad time for a family issue and because he was less and less interest in studying at the Institute of Catalonia he went to every day. «There came a time when I did nothing, I was bored at home lying all afternoon with my mobile and in class I slept from boredom and reluctant. There was nothing interested and every time I was more away from my colleagues Because he did not reach his level of studies. In the end I left the institute and started a PFI (training and insertion program), FP studies taught in Catalonia that allow young people return to teachings regulated and that entail the accreditation of professional competences ».

One day, a coach of The Exit Foundation, Entity that works to reduce early educational abandonment among young people in situation of social vulnerability through tools to improve their employability and their professional future, went to its center of the PFI and came into contact. «He was very interested in me, he asked me many questions and tried to guide me in several sessions to Determine my best option Towards the world of work. It also took me to the Ferrer pharmacist where he worked and I could see in situ everything that is done there, how he works, the different profiles and responsibilities. I was excited. I felt someone worried about me, I felt loved and sure. Now I take good grades and help other colleagues ».

Currently, the PFI continues, «but I am already clear that I want to continue training and I will do or a FP in chemistry quality or administration technician. My parents are very proud of me».

Like Santi, Fatima (18 years) He was also about to leave studies. «I arrived in Spain from Gambia in 2021 and I had a hard time following the classes in the institute because I dominated the language little. My teachers didn’t care. They told me to copy what they wrote on the board. My exams were not adapted and soon I started to suspend to the point of getting zeros. I already didn’t care».

They told him to think of an alternative to study to make a living. «I lost a year and decided to make Nursing FP, but I didn’t get a place. I signed up for trade. In a class, the teachers told us the existence of the Exit Foundation to help students. Upon contacting her, a coach helped me discover what I really had to study for my profile and interest. Now I know what trade is not mine and the course I will do nursing assistant. I have finally stopped having so many doubts and I feel sure where I want to be in my future ».

Abandonment rate in Spain

School abandonment remains one of the main social challenges since, according to EPA 2024, Spain has a 13%rate; That is, it is the second country with the greatest school abandonment of the European Union. This problem especially affects young people from low -income families and immigrant origin, where the rate is doubled.

From the Sict, which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, they consider that in 2025 it will be required that 50% of the active population has intermediate studies and only 23% reaches this educational level. During his career, this organization has achieved that More than 14,000 young people participate in their projectspromoting their training and access to employment thanks to the joint work with 550 educational centers, 8,000 volunteers and more than 1,000 collaborating companies.

The accompaniment of these students is based on three key axes: orientation, training and connection with the work world. When working in network, they are the educational centers, social entities and public administrations Those who derive young people between 16 and 24 who have abandoned or are at risk of leaving their studies, although, sometimes, they also contact them directly young people interested in improving their job opportunities.

The accompaniment consists mainly of a diagnosis and orientation to identify the situation of each of them, their interests and needs, with the aim of being able to offer them a personalized itinerary.

The training programs and practical experiences offered to them are the following:

• Comprehensive labor orientation: A model focused on connecting the individual capacities of each young man with the specific needs of the environment and the work scenario, to optimize their performance, enhance their abilities and find more opportunities.

• Company School: Solid bridges between young people and the working world, with technical formations that alternate the classroom with the practices in the company with the aim of maximizing the opportunities for labor insertion.

• Employment: Accompaniment to young people in search of employment in the last stage before joining the labor market. They connect them with the world of business and with job offers.

An aid to reflection and self -knowledge

Like Santi and Fatima, Aiman ​​Bahri (19 years) He was unhappy with his studies and had thought about bowing to electronics for being a manual sector. “However, I am very social and it is a job in which there are few social relations and I chose to abandon.” Aiman ​​was encouraged to participate in the Coach project, which helped him reflect on his academic and professional path. During the program, it was clear that the basic FP in electricity and electronics that he was studying was not his true vocation. Thanks to this guidance process, he decided turn around And he is currently studying a higher degree in international trade, a training that he is passionate about and with which he projected towards his professional future.

Committed to improving opportunities for other young people, Aiman ​​has currently become a volunteer of the Foundation, contributing to their experience to inspire other students. In addition, it actively participates in CANAE initiatives (State Confederation of Student Associations), providing their vision to improve the educational and employability conditions of youth. Their story is an example of how accompaniment and orientation can transform the future of young people, helping them find their way and enhance their talent.

Also Rubén Marín (19 years) He found his way in computer science also thanks to the Coach Project. His mentor made him see that his studies were not only an obligation, but a door to his future. Motivated, he performed practices, achieved his first job and continued to train with a higher degree in development of web applications. Today, as monitoring engineer From Banco Santander, he returns what he learned as a corporate volunteer of the Coach Project, accompanying other young people in his process.

Neres Sánchez (17 years old) known among his friends as “the Jennifer Aniston of Fuenlabrada”, has lived a personal and professional transformation after passing through the Program of the Exit Foundation. «I left the studies and did not finish the ESO. He had internalized that the business world was not for me, that the environment and environment within a company was too serious, rigid and gray. Shortly after he participated in the Coach Project and is currently studying a basic FP in Marketing, a path that, until recently, did not imagine touring.

His experience in the company Adecco with his volunteer Cristina Romero, human resources consultant, gave a turn to her perception. Cristina showed him a more human and dynamic side of the work world, helping her to discover that the company can also be a space for growth and opportunities. «When I started I wrote a letter to my self with my purposes. Three months later they have given me in Adecco to read it and I still get excited. I have seen my transformation. I have left my fears behind and I have won in self -confidence. I feel more prepared for the future and wanting to continue exploring the professional world with a new attitude and mentality. I have fulfilled some purposes and now I have the strength to continue fighting for those who remain to be done ».

Muba Lobede (25 years) It is clear that trying is always worth it. He discovered his passion for the hospitality thanks to the Empresa School Project by the Mahou San Miguel Foundation in his program we create opportunities in hospitality. While studying restoration service, he worked in a chain of pizzas at home, but his dual training showed him a new vision of the hospitality, with methods and structures and a professionalization that fascinated him.

Currently, he works in Sushita, the restaurant where he performed his practices, and has paused his higher degree in tourist accommodation management to train as manager. His path has not been easy, but it is clear that it has been worth it. Today is where he wants to be and continues to build his future to grow personally and professionally.

Eimy Torres (19 years) He arrived in Madrid from Venezuela with the desire to continue studying, but without knowing how. Her determination led her to discover the basic FP of computer science, where she not only found her vocation, but also the confidence to continue growing in the sector. In the Coach Project, and with the support of his mentor of JPMorganchase, he learned to manage his time, improve his academic performance and develop key skills for his professional future.

Knowing a company from within made you change your vision of the work world, break myths and find the motivation to aspire to more. For Eimy, it has been “an opportunity to open the eyes and understand how companies really work”, driving it to continue training with ambition and determination.

Martín Gonzales (19 years), A passionate about electronics and computers, is a basic FP student of computer science and communications. His love for video games aroused interest in the digital world and technology. At the Exit Foundation, Martín discovered new opportunities in his sector. Although At the beginning he felt nervesexperience allowed him to exchange knowledge with his coach and better orient him about his future. Before the project, I was not clear about its way, but today knows that he wants to continue training with an average degree, convinced that computer science will open many doors in the working world.

Reduce the educational gap

Within the framework of its 25th anniversary, this March 2025, the Exit Foundation has held the meeting “Business Solutions to boost school success and youth employment” at the Botín Foundation in Madrid, gathering experts, companies and social entities to analyze how the private sector can contribute to curb school abandonment and facilitate youth labor insert. During the event, he reaffirmed his commitment to continue building opportunities and reduce the educational gap so that no young man in Spain is left behind. «School abandonment is a challenge that we cannot face alone. The involvement of companies is key to transforming the future of thousands of young people and demonstrating that, with adequate opportunities, talent can flourish regardless of the socio -economic context, ”said Nacho Sequeira, director of the organization.

For his part, Ignacio de la Colina, Senior Country Officer, JP Morgan in Iberia, stressed that «companies We have the responsibility of contributing To social change. Our collaboration for more than ten years has allowed us to see first hand how mentoring and accompaniment can make a difference in the lives of young people ».