Social and labor inclusion through Education in Technology

Promoting training in digital skills for social and labor inclusion is the primary goal of Guayerd. This EdTech company supports and professionally integrates talent from socially and economically vulnerable groups in Latin America. Learn about the education in technology proposal and the testimonies of some participants who received a free scholarship to study programming.

It’s 9 am in Argentina, and Elena, 23 years old, joins her first virtual class. To connect to the internet, she had to travel 60 kilometers to the nearest internet access point from her rural residence. When she introduced herself to the other participants in the class, she shared her expectations for studying programming: “I want a decent job to provide for my daughter.”

For five months, Elena traveled 120 km daily to connect to all her classes on time. She had never sent an email before. However, after several hours of classes, with dedication, perseverance, and the collaboration of her classmates and academic team, she learned to use the computer to solve complex logical problems and develop solutions in a code language that initially seemed “out of this world.”

Elena, along with hundreds of students, received a free scholarship to study at Guayerd, a social impact EdTech that trains, accompanies, and inserts talent with potential from contexts of socio-economic vulnerability from multiple Latin American countries.

According to data published by the World Bank/ILO (2023), 22 million people are unemployed in Latin America. 35% of the population in the region lives in a context of vulnerability, according to data from CEPAL, and 47% of that population who do have jobs work in the informal sector.

Considering that nearly one in every two technology positions remains unfilled in Latin America, according to studies by Michael Page, and with a digital talent deficit that will exceed four million workers globally by 2030, according to Korn Ferry, the IT (Information Technology) job market offers fertile ground for promoting social inclusion through professional training and job placement in technology-related disciplines. According to UNESCO, “for education to contribute to transforming the future, it must first be more inclusive.”

Source: World Bank 2023 / International Labor Organization 2023 / iCIMS 2019-21 / Gartner 2019-21 / Korn Ferry 2019-21 / Empirica 2017-20

The Future of Work and Skills That Will Serve Today and Tomorrow

The danger of many people losing their jobs due to technological advances is imminent. However, these same advances would allow for new job positions, which can be accessed by those trained to do so.

Educating in developing durable and transversal skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability is fundamental in an increasingly interconnected and changing world, where projects are increasingly complex and require teamwork and the incorporation of rapidly evolving technologies.

These skills promote complex thinking and provide the possibility of understanding the changes and expectations of the job market, favoring decision-making from a deep sense of confidence.

Our Triple Support Methodology

At Guayerd, we promote the development of technical and transversal skills through a Triple Support Methodology that identifies, develops, and enhances talent.

1-  Mentors lead learning through real practical projects and current professional tools.

2- Tutors licensed in psychology and social work accompany and provide personalized follow-up to students, facilitating adherence to the program and adapting pedagogical methods and approaches to the specific reality and needs of each participant. Additionally, they work to strengthen competencies such as communication, collaboration, autonomy, self-confidence, and commitment.

3- HR-IT professionals collaborate in constructing the professional profile and accompany it during the job placement process.

The application of new knowledge and the resolution of complex problems requires the development of basic transversal skills that can sustain the incorporation of any new learning. It is also essential to facilitate and enhance the development of a community of people who motivate and help each other to grow and overcome difficulties.

In the monthly surveys we share with students, one of the questions points to what they like most about their educational experience so far; 93% highlight the collaboration between colleagues and the support of professionals on the academic team.

Sergio, a 40-year-old student, shared a reflection with his class towards the end of the course: “Every time I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish the program, my classmates and instructors were there to give me strength and confidence to keep going. Without them, I wouldn’t have come this far.”

The fact that students highlight words like empathy and help when giving feedback reinforces the importance of continuing to build cooperative and supportive pedagogies.

Inclusive education involves promoting the development of learning communities with multiple supports: technical, socio-environmental, and effective.

Education in Technology as a Transformative Social Action

The purpose of accessing employment is an important motivator for learning, but it is not enough to ensure the completion of studies. In Guayerd, many of the people who have applied for a scholarship with the expectation of applying for a decent job have expressed wanting to drop out of their studies and not doing so because they feel part of an educational community that supports them, that is flexible, and that promotes resilience and solidarity.

Teaching without considering the market’s needs is misguided, just as educating solely to enter it is. The proposal that moves us consists of students developing 21st-century skills not only to adapt to the current and future world but also to enrich humanity.