Javier Milei's government will move forward in 2026 with a program aimed at converting social plans into job training tools, with the goal of enabling beneficiaries to access vocational training and improve their chances of entering the labor market.
The initiative will be launched through a pilot plan that will begin next January 6 and will be led by the Ministry of Human Capital, headed by Sandra Pettovello.
The proposal aims to transform the Volver al Trabajo (VAT) program, which currently reaches more than 900,000 people. Instead of receiving a monthly income of $78,000, beneficiaries will start receiving educational vouchers for training. Although the scheme is already formally enabled, on January 6 the first pilot experience will be carried out to evaluate its operation before a possible large-scale implementation.
Meanwhile, within the Human Capital portfolio, officials are analyzing a broader reorganization of the social assistance system. Among the alternatives under consideration is the unification of different allowances, the Universal Child Allowance (AUH), the pregnancy allowance, the Thousand Days Plan, and the Food Card within a Family AUH. The goal is to simplify the aid scheme and improve control over the benefits that each household receives.
In this first stage of the pilot plan to convert social plans into job training, 20 beneficiaries of the Volver al Trabajo program will be selected by the Ministry of Human Capital to take two training modules.
Each module will have a duration of eight classes and the complete course will extend over two months. At the end, participants will obtain a professional building painting certificate. In this initial phase, it is not planned for beneficiaries to stop receiving their payments while they undergo the training.
El presidente Javier Milei.
The courses will include theoretical and practical content, as well as the provision of painting and study materials. The company Sinteplast will be one of the first to participate in the project, covering the training costs. To obtain the certificate, beneficiaries will have to meet a minimum attendance of 70% of the classes.
The training will be delivered at the Human Capital Training Center, located in the Garrigós Complex, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of La Paternal. The space has been in the process of restoration and enhancement since March, with the support of the Stock Exchange. Pettovello's team expects the experience that will begin in January to be progressively extended to municipalities and provinces throughout the country.
Javier Milei en New York.
This Tuesday, the Chief of Staff, Manuel Adorni, confirmed the program during a press conference. "Social plans are going to be transformed into educational vouchers for training. This way, about 900,000 beneficiaries of the Volver al Trabajo plan are going to start training in order to maintain the plan. Different vocational courses are going to be offered. Some of the agreements with the private sector include companies such as Sinteplast, Mercado Libre, Arcos Dorados, and Quilmes", he stated.
With this initiative, Javier Milei's government seeks to move toward a redesign of the social assistance scheme, orienting it toward job training and greater coordination with the private sector, with the goal of promoting the creation of formal employment.
