Inter-American Development Bank President Enrique V. Iglesias and the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina President Hugo Ostrower today signed documents for a $1,730,000 grant that will strengthen and expand AMIA’s job placement services and ensure more effective linkages between supply and demand for labor.
The president of the World Jewish Congress, Israel Singer, signed the document as honorary witness.
Also attending the ceremony were senior representatives of international Jewish communities, legislators, the ambassadors to the United States from Israel and Argentina, as well as leaders of other Jewish organizations.
The resources from the Multilateral Investment Fund, an autonomous fund administered by the IDB, will enhance AMIA's Job Training and Placement Center (CODLA) within metropolitan Buenos Aires and transfer the model to the cities of Cordoba, Rosario, Tucuman and Bahia Blanca.
"AMIA, with its long and productive record, has identified its work in Buenos Aires with the highest moral values, which inspire solidarity in the heart of Jewish communities," Iglesias said. "This project brings the light of hope to many and an experience of great value for our continent."
MIF Manager Don Terry said the "grant will help AMIA strengthen its efforts in assisting workers to obtain jobs in a very tight labor market."
Ostrower expressed thanks for the grant, saying it will "contribute to opening opportunities for dignified work, of which there is a need now more than ever."
AMIA’s employment program is open to the general public. The Labor Ministry recognized AMIA in 1999 as the leading civil society employment agency, and the organization has placed 800 workers that year.
The project will enable CODLA to acquire modern computer and management tools; improve its capabilities for employment counseling, vocational guidance, and job placement; and apply new techniques to help job seekers find employment on their own.
The result will be a more integrated placement system in which the needs of employers will be more closely matched with the labor market in a timely way, using methods such as testing, counseling, and computer-based matching.
AMIA will provide $1,730,000 in counterpart resources for the project.
The association was among the first victims of a large-scale terrorist attack in the Americas. In 1994 a car bomb destroyed its seven-story building, causing 86 deaths and wounding hundreds. AMIA, founded in Argentina 107 years ago, rebuilt its headquarters and redoubled its social and community action activities, which have won international distinction.
The Multilateral Investment Fund, an autonomous fund administered by the Inter-American Development Bank, provides grants and investments to promote private sector growth, labor force training and small enterprise modernization in Latin America and the Caribbean.