Entra 21 provides grants and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Grants will be awarded for training and job placement projects that target youth and impart IT skills, enabling trainees to work with computers, the Internet, and other workplace technologies and equipment. The projects need to meet a demonstrated demand in the labor market and teach the skills necessary for trainees to find and hold a job. Funding for the Program will come from several sources. The MIF has pledged US$10 million. IYF will match the MIF contribution on a one-to-one basis by forming partnerships with multinational corporations, foundations, and governmental agencies in the Americas, Europe, and Japan.

Entra 21 offers donors a unique opportunity to maximize their social investments in the region. In order to meet the matching requirements of the MIF challenge—and succeed in realizing the Program's vision and scale, entra 21 seeks the participation of corporations, foundations, and governments as funding partners. In supporting entra 21, donors will leverage their resources through a one-to-one match, thereby achieving greater impact, cost efficiencies, and higher returns on their investment. In addition to providing financial support, donors may participate through the provision of training services, job opportunities, and technical assistance to participating nonprofit organizations.

We believe that only through the collective resources of the business, nonprofit, and government sectors can we achieve the scale necessary to have a long-term, sustainable impact on the region’s labor needs and escalating youth unemployment. The economic growth of Latin America and the Caribbean depends on having a workforce that is prepared to meet the needs of the region’s growing information-based economy. Young people entering the job market with better qualifications and skills will in turn be a resource to businesses as they adopt new technologies.