Chile expands vocational training for ex‑inmates and women heads of households

Fifteen former inmates and other participants of the PAIS reintegration program in Antofagasta received manual‑arc welding certificates after completing an 80‑hour course provided by OTEC Training Centre. The ceremony, held during the Month of Social Reintegration, was attended by regional Justice Minister Ramón Tagle Ariztía and Gendarmerie director Jaime Pincheira Osses, who highlighted the role of the training in stabilising lives and families.

In Quillota, the municipal government and the National Service for Women and Gender Equality (SernamEG) certified 50 women out of 124 beneficiaries of the Mujeres Jefas de Hogar program. The participants completed courses in trades such as manicure, textile design, repostería, food handling, as well as digital marketing and financial education, aimed at improving employability and economic autonomy. Program director Nicole Fernández emphasized the alignment of the initiative with the municipality’s priorities on health, public safety and employment.