The initiative is part of the countercyclical economic policy of the National Government, to face the economic crisis and reinforce the country’s competitiveness. The new quotas will be available from May. The budget for this project is 316 thousand million pesos.

Bogotá, March 20 (SP). The National Service for Learning (Sena) will double its quota for training in technical and technological levels, offering 250 thousand new places for young people between 16 and 26 years old, who are unemployed and living in extreme poverty conditions.

This measure is part shock plan designed by the National Government to reduce unemployment, and fits into the countercyclical economic policy that looks for the protection of Colombian economy facing the problems of the international financial market.

250 thousand unemployed young people will receive training from Sena, using competence and learning by projects modalities, both virtual and in site coursers, with flexible characteristics, high pertinence level and new application areas in order to develop productive projects and enhance employment opportunity.

The budget for this project is 316 thousand million pesos, which will cover instructors’ fees, training material, project development and maintenance support (food and transportation) for about 30 thousand learners.

Through this initiative, Sena will offer 187 technical and technological innovating programs, selected after a study of the higher demand, pertinence and emerging jobs. The institution also considered de demand of the last two announcements.

The new programs are in the fields of: electronics; telecommunications; graphic industry and communication; new materials; nanotechnology applications and material surface treatment; transportation and logistic; vegetal, animal and industrial biotechnology; Industrial design and production; environmental and clean production; and precision agriculture, among others.

In addition, the program includes construction and civil engineering works to facilitate the development of infrastructure projects that the Government and private investors are planning to do, with a significant contribution to employment generation.

Sena will focus this project for urban centers, while the program of Rural Youth will be increasing its presence in rural communities, reinforcing endeavor component.

The assignment of the courses will be determined by the cities with higher levers of unemployment, taking into account that the graduates will be directed to productive projects and employment generation.

In the same way, all the announcements of Emprender fund during 2009 and 2010 will be directed to the same group.

For this program, Sena will make announcements to enroll 5 thousand instructors, especially professionals recently unemployed as a result of the crisis. 

Of the 250 thousand quota, 70% will be adjudicated in 2009, trough three open announcements. The institution will use all its alliances and agreements to ensure the project’s viability, support and results. It will also use its mobile classrooms to achieve its training goals in the most remote places of the country.

With this program, Sena will look to reduce 4 percentage points of the unemployment rate of people between 16 and 26 years old, which will impact the total unemployment rate in almost one percentage point.