Konecta - a catalyst for change: Boosting employment to strengthen communities

In today's global landscape, the disparity in employment opportunities between different areas and groups is all too clear. Disadvantaged areas, whether due to their geographical location, socio-economic conditions or the legacy of structural problems, face significant challenges in generating quality employment that can not only sustain individuals, but also be a catalyst for community development.

The importance of fostering the creation of employment

Fostering job creation in disadvantaged areas is vital for sustainable development, offering key benefits such as reducing poverty, promoting equal opportunities and strengthening social cohesion. In this regard, Konecta has played a transformative role in places such as Montería and San Vicente (Colombia) and Chiclayo (Peru), demonstrating how business engagement can drive significant changes in society.

Transformation in Monteria

Since 2015, Konecta's Montería te llama project in the cattle-raising region of Córdoba (Colombia) has transformed the lives of many young people who had fled their homes due to the armed conflict that shook the area and given themnew prospects.

By offering quality employment and development opportunities, the project not only helps to close socio-economic gaps, it also provides hope in a community with a large number of informal jobs which yearns for a better future. Today, after 7 years of operating in the area and with more than 1,700 employees by the end of 2023, Monteria is living testimony to how a company, in partnership with its customers, can make a difference by offering decent employment and real opportunities.

Teleworking in St Vincent

San Vicente is a town located in the east of Antioquia, where we extended our commitment to creating jobs on a teleworking basis. The idea was to make life easier for people living a long way from major business centres on two counts: first, by avoiding the cost of traveling to work, and secondly, by making it possible for them to care for their children or dependent parents.

Today we have 26 advisors, 40% of whom are mothers who are heads of household. 56% have children, while 64% belong to low-income groups (levels 2 and 3 out of 6) and are over 45 years of age. For 12% of them, Konecta is their first job and they all agree that the stability and closeness of their employment relationship is something they’ve never had anywhere else.

Hope in Chiclayo

Chiclayo is the capital of the Lambayeque Region, located in the north of Peru, being one of the most important cities in the country. It has grown constantly in recent decades and rapid urban development has meant the formation of neighbourhoods and informal settlements on the outskirts of the city.

Since 2018, we have focused on developing social projects which aim to boost employability in the area and provide support to the local community. One of the flagship programmes is Inkluye, which originated in Lima and has now been extended to Chiclayo. This programme focuses on providing training in contact centres and soft skills to low-income and disabled people, to help them enter the labour market with Konecta.

In collaboration with the Department of Labour and for the Fostering of Employment, agreements have been established to carry out this training in the latter’s own facilities, allowing a greater number of people in the community to be reached. This positive impact on employability in the region has led to Konecta in being recognised as a company with a strong commitment to helping the inclusion of people with disabilities and in vulnerable situations in the Lambayeque Region.

As a result of both the growth in activity and the programmes put in place, the company currently has 3,350 employees at its Chiclayo headquarters.

Partnerships for development

Job creation in disadvantaged communities is essential for sustainable development, offering a way of reducing poverty, promoting equal opportunities and strengthening social cohesion.

Through its projects, Konecta has clearly shown the transformative impact that quality employment can have on society. These actions reinforce the company's commitment to social welfare and long-term sustainability. Together, they illustrate how the alliance between companies, governments and communities can transform lives, strengthen the social fabric and help us achieve a fairer and more equitable future.

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