(ANS - Rimini) - Back from the busy days in Madrid, Fr Pascual Chavez, Rector Major, spoke at the Communion and Liberation Convention in Rimini, the Movement's traditional opportunity for discussion and debate. In his remarks, the Rector Major touched on the issue of vocational training and its importance.

“Salesians in Italy resolutely request the Minister for Education and the Minister for Labour, their Government, and the Regions they represent, to see the value of maintaining the experimental three-year initial vocational training program, which post-school youth today can enroll in”. This is the explicit request Fr Chavez made yesterday, August 22, in discussions on 'Youth and education: all skilled players for life'.

At the speakers' table, with Fr Chavez, were the Minister for Welfare, the Hon. Maurizio Sacconi, Chairman and Co-founder of the Los Angeles Habilitation House, Dr. Guido Piccarolo and introducing the discussion, Dr. Dario Odifreddi, President of the Piazza dei Mestieri Foundation.

When his turn came, the Rector Major stressed the need first of all for adults to listen to the younger generation in order to respond to their needs. “Young people are looking for quality of life, spirituality and transcendence, and need accompaniment by adults who can listen to them, understand them and are able to guide them”.

In his remarks Fr Chavez recalled the value of the Salesian experience in professional training: for over 150 years the Salesians have worked in this field, motivated by the “wish to educate” and the consideration that the same kind of study is not right for every student. Salesian Vocational training has provided an example for legislative models in various countries, including Italy, and in many cases the young people who have attended Salesian vocational schools have not only learned a trade, but have also “learned to learn”.

Salesian vocational training centres have sprung up in every continent and tens of thousands of past pupils have trained there, made their contribution to the industrial development of their countries.

Fr Chavez's reflection also drew on Don Bosco's remarkable 'invention', the Salesian Brother, quoting Senator Spadolini: “The Salesian Brother, the lay Salesian Religious did not transform workshops into  work-fodder for factories... but into places which formed the real worker”.

The Salesian recipe, confirmed by the figures and statistics, it is still current: “In addition to responding flexibly to the different learning styles of young people” said Fr Chavez, “it also becomes part of prevention against the difficulties young people find when they leave school”.

The Rector Major concluded with a practical suggestion: at a time when we want to adopt comprehensive reforms affecting the whole education system of our country, “there is need for a new commitment to education, teaching, teaching and guidance, especially in the two years following junior high school, where we find the majority of school dropouts.

Published 23/08/2011