The purpose of this article is to present the first results of an ongoing master’s research, the aim of which is to evaluate the Soil Citizen Project, with a view to identifying elements of technical training that favour young people’s access to their first job. The project in question is an educational public policy of the Federal Government, the aim of which is to offer technical and professional qualifications to military personnel who have completed military service, enabling them to compete in the labour market under better conditions. The research approach is qualitative, case study, with desk research and targeted interviews of the courses held in the instruction centre of the Navy of Brazil. The developed axis is “Education, Youth and Work”. Initial findings point to a worrying issue: around 32.4 % of respondents are unemployed and do not generate family rent, raising questions about the effectiveness of this policy. At the time of the search, with the speakers of the first respondents, it can be concluded that young people now have the following skills: planning and organisation of the work itself; disenfranchisement in dealing with clients; initiative and willingness to seek new knowledge and to improve; participatory development in team work; and the ability to manage the business itself.