President, Rotary International
In a garage outside Salinas, California, young people who are learning to restore classic cars are doing more than developing a skill — they are reclaiming their futures. This training programme provides mentorship and, for some, a path away from gang involvement toward meaningful employment. Graduates leave with certifications, practical experience and hope.
This is what Rotary’s Vocational Service Month celebrates each January — the power of bringing together people with unique skills to do good in the world. It reminds us that integrity isn’t just about our actions matching our words. Integrity is in everything we do.
The California automotive programme has been such a success because it was built on integrity. Members of the Rotary Club of Carmel-by-the-Sea didn’t assume they knew what the community needed. They listened. They learned there was a shortage of skilled mechanics as well as a large number of young people lacking job training. They recognised that technical skills alone wouldn’t be enough, so they partnered with Rancho Cielo, a nonprofit offering counselling and support services alongside vocational training.
That is The Four-Way Test in action. Those four simple questions help us not judge others but guide us toward genuine, effective service.
Consider our commitment to ending polio. For nearly 40 years, we have promised the world’s children we will eliminate this disease. Despite obstacles, we persist, and today we are closer to defeating the virus. Keeping this promise is the very definition of integrity.
The same integrity must drive our vocational service. With 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies reaching working age in the next decade and only 420 million jobs projected, we face a critical gap. Communities long excluded from economic opportunities need our support.
But support doesn’t mean imposing our will. It means listening to local needs, building partnerships, and designing projects that communities can sustain themselves.
You have knowledge that can transform lives. Whatever your profession, your expertise combined with Rotary’s values creates lasting change. The question isn’t whether you have something to offer, it’s how you’ll use your skills to serve.
This January, I encourage you to ask how your club can address vocational needs in your community. What skills do your members have that could change someone’s life? How can your networks open doors for young people? What partnerships can create sustainable jobs?
Let integrity guide you. Let The Four-Way Test light your path. And let the young people in California and the multitudes worldwide who need job skills remind you why vocational service matters.
Let us celebrate putting our professional skills to work for humanity with integrity at the heart of everything we do.
Francesco Arezzo
President, Rotary International