Santo Domingo. – With the aim of facilitating access to formal employment and reducing informality, the Ministry of Labor launched the RD-Trabaja program, an initiative that will allow people seeking employment to train directly in companies while receiving a salary covered by the State.
The Minister of Labor, Eddy Olivares Ortega, explained that the program creates an effective bridge between the real needs of the productive sector and the talent available in the country, betting on practical training as a way for sustainable labor insertion.
“A strong labor market is built on formal jobs, guaranteed rights, and real opportunities for growth. RD-Trabaja responds to that vision,” said the official, highlighting President Luis Abinader‘s support for policies that strengthen decent work.
Through this initiative, the Ministry of Labor will assume the payment of the participants’ salary for three months while they receive training in the companies, with the possibility of being hired permanently at the end of the process. In the case of people with disabilities, the support will be extended for six months.
One of the key aspects of the program is that beneficiaries will be integrated from the beginning into the social security system, which guarantees access to health, coverage for occupational risks, and social security rights.
The president of the Confederation of Employers of the Dominican Republic (Copardom), Laura Peña Izquierdo, valued RD-Trabaja as a tool that promotes employability through cooperation between the State and the business sector, allowing the training of talent adapted to the needs of each company.
Similarly, Nathalie Alvarado, representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in the country, highlighted that the program modernizes labor intermediation services and improves the connection between available vacancies and suitable profiles.
RD-Trabaja is part of a set of active employment policies that includes the modernization of the National Employment Service (SENAE), the strengthening of the Territorial Employment Offices (OTE), the expansion of employment days and the increase of technical training in coordination with INFOTEP.
The program is aimed at young people between 18 and 35 years old, as well as adults over 35, promoting the inclusion of women, people with disabilities, and other groups historically excluded from the formal labor market.
“The Ministry of Labor will support both companies and participants at each stage of the process, reducing hiring risks and betting on quality employment,” concluded Olivares Ortega.
With RD-Trabaja, the Government seeks to consolidate a more modern, inclusive employment system aligned with the demands of the country’s economic and social development.
