The "Youth Building the Future" program, one of the most visible flagship initiatives of the self-proclaimed 4T government, has returned to the center of public debate. Although it has received billions of pesos (billions of pesos) since its creation, tangible results remain scarce. The number of beneficiaries who have actually found a stable job opportunity after participating in the program is alarmingly low.

Since its implementation in 2019, the program has consumed more than 100 billion pesos (100 billion pesos) from the public treasury, with more than 2.6 million young people enrolled during the AMLO administration. However, various studies and reports from Coneval itself warn that less than 30% of participants manage to enter the formal labor market upon completing their training. In many cases, the "tutoring companies" are small businesses or even nonexistent organizations that simply serve as fronts for collecting support payments.

Youth protests expose the failure of the strategy

Paradoxically, the very young people who were supposed to be beneficiaries of the program have recently taken to the streets to protest against gentrification, labor precariousness, and the lack of real opportunities. The marches in Mexico City, led mainly by young people, highlight a disconnect between the program's propagandistic objectives and the real conditions faced by millions of Mexicans.

Claudia Sheinbaum has announced her intention to increase social spending on these programs for next year. Her government will continue the socialist model that has yielded such good results for the regime in electoral terms, but which leaves many questions about its effectiveness as a public policy.

Simulation, propaganda, and spending without results

Despite the budget, there are no rigorous impact evaluation mechanisms or effective monitoring to ensure that young people successfully obtain formal employment. In addition, multiple complaints have documented irregularities, duplicate registrations, and shell companies, without any serious review by the authorities so far.

This pattern is no longer new in the 4T. With costly programs, high media impact, and electoral purposes disguised as social justice, "Youth Building the Future" seems more like a political loyalty program than a genuine commitment to the development and economic independence of Mexican youth.

Meanwhile, Morena insists on increasing the budget for welfare programs, but still fails to transform these temporary transfers into real and sustainable opportunities for new generations.