The Council of Ministers of Cuba approved a training and preparation program for the job placement of youth aged 18 to 30 who are neither studying nor working, through training courses during which they will receive a monthly income equivalent to the current minimum wage.
The measure was established in the , published this Thursday, October 22, in the .
The program aims to reintegrate these young people into the educational, productive, and service delivery systems through training activities that enhance their job skills and increase their chances of finding employment.
Who will be able to benefit from the program?
Although the program is primarily aimed at young people between 18 and 30 years old who are not studying or working, the regulations allow for the exceptional inclusion of adolescents aged 15 to 17, following an evaluation of their social risk situation, as well as individuals aged 31 to 35 with caregiving responsibilities.
Priority groups include residents in areas with high levels of youth disconnection, women with dependent minors and low income, transgender individuals, people living with HIV/AIDS, persons with disabilities, and those in vulnerable situations.
The selection of beneficiaries will be carried out through the municipal offices of Labor and Social Security.
Those who are already enrolled in other preparatory, advancement, or training courses at the time of registration will also not be able to access.
Courses of up to six months with a monthly income
The training and preparation courses will last between one and six months, with a minimum of 20 instructional hours per week.
Training programs will be planned in accordance with the workforce needs of each territory, with the aim of facilitating the participants' integration into productive and service activities.
During the courses, participants will receive a monthly income equivalent to the current minimum wage in Cuba, currently set at 3,210 Cuban pesos, according to the .
For young people in vulnerable situations, the payment will be funded through conditional benefits from Social Assistance. These beneficiaries must attend at least 85% of the educational activities and pass the evaluations to maintain their income.
In other cases, the monthly payment will be covered by the budget of the entity offering the training course, as stipulated in Article 11 of the Agreement.
The regulations also stipulate that those who receive this assistance may be required to repay it partially or fully if they unjustifiably abandon the courses, fail to honor their commitment to accept an available job that corresponds with the training received, or resign from the job without justified cause during the first six months.
In the event that a refund is required, beneficiaries will have up to 180 business days to make it, with the option to set up a payment plan of up to 12 months if they demonstrate financial difficulties.
Which agencies will be responsible for implementing the measure?
The implementation of the program will be the responsibility of the municipal departments of Labor and Social Security, with the participation of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Ministry of Education, the Municipal Administration Councils, and the entities responsible for delivering the courses.
These institutions will participate in organizing training activities and their connection to the labor market demands of the regions.
The measure had been announced in June 2026 as part of a package of labor and salary transformations presented by the Cuban government. It was also planned to recognize that training period as time served.
Youth disconnection has been a recognized issue by Cuban authorities for years. In February 2023, official data indicated that around 800,000 young people were neither studying nor working. Subsequently, the Government stated that, by December 2024, it had incorporated 16,327 young people into education and 28,011 into the workforce through a training and development program. An independent report from the Social Rights Observatory, published in September 2025, estimated that nearly two out of ten Cuban youths remained disengaged from both activities.
Agreement 10463/2026 came into effect on October 22, 2026, the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba.
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