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Generation Change

Opening doors abroad

Portugal’s young people are going through difficult times. Youth unemployment in the country is at over 40 percent and many of those who do stay in Portugal end up in jobs that offer little career development. What makes things even tougher is that many Portuguese youth are traditionally reluctant to travel overseas to improve their job opportunities, or even just try something new.

Gonçalo Azevedo Silva is an exception. After spending a year abroad doing a GAP Year, he founded the organization GapYear.pt. The group aims to give Portuguese school leavers a perspective, by connecting them with foundations and charities who need people to volunteer overseas.

Listen to the report by André Leslie:

Opening doors abroad

Gonçalo Azevedo Silva

Gonçalo Azevedo Silva is pictured here during his volunteer year in East Timor

More on the Gap Year website (in Portuguese.)

Date

Tuesday 06.08.2013 | 11:52

Tags

abroad, employment, Gap Year, Portugal, unemployment, volunteer, work, youth

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