Latin America and the Caribbean are entering a decisive phase in educational reform — this time focused on higher-level technical and vocational education and training (TVET). While foundational access to primary and secondary education has improved, the systems that equip young adults with job-ready skills after graduation remain fragmented and underfunded.
Governments across the region are calling for reform. Yet implementation challenges persist. For international education solution providers, this is not only a regional opportunity — it is a strategic entry point to support systems under reconstruction, not merely systems in expansion.
To respond to this demand, Worlddidac is launching a Trade Delegation to Latin America, connecting participants directly with public institutions, TVET agencies, and ministries of education across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
Higher-Level TVET: Inclusion, Relevance, and Capacity Gaps
A 2025 policy brief from UNESCO-IESALC highlights that enrolment in higher-level TVET has doubled in the past 20 years — yet the sector still faces structural barriers:
- Limited access for women, low-income learners, and rural youth
- Faculty shortages and lack of modern training methodologies
- Outdated curricula with poor alignment to emerging labor market needs
What makes this challenge urgent is not scale, but direction. The world of work is being redefined by energy transitions, automation, and digital service economies. Yet many Latin American institutions still deliver analog instruction for industrial-era systems.
For TVET to drive equity and productivity in the region, it must evolve into a strategic ecosystem — not a secondary tier.
TVET-Tertiary Integration: Unlocking Systemic Potential
Although around 40% of students in upper-secondary education enroll in TVET, participation at the post-secondary level remains below 30%, according to OECD and IDB reports.
This discrepancy is not simply institutional — it is ideological. In many countries, vocational education is still viewed as a fallback, not a pathway. And yet, labor market data increasingly shows that mid-level skills in areas like mechatronics, health tech, logistics, and renewable energy are both scarce and essential.
Latin America’s dual challenge is to elevate the status of TVET while also restructuring the systems that deliver it. This includes:
- Creating seamless bridges between secondary, technical, and university pathways
- Funding post-secondary TVET at parity with academic programs
- Embedding TVET in innovation agendas — not just employment plans
This structural shift will require not only capital — but expertise, innovation, and trust-based partnerships.
Explore also: Unlocking New Horizons: Why Latin America’s Education Sector Is Ripe for Collaboration
What Institutions Now Need
Institutions know what needs to change — but often lack the capacity, tools, or partners to execute. The current needs include:
- Hands-on training systems for energy, mobility, health, and mechatronics
- Digital platforms for certification, outcome tracking, and content delivery
- Train-the-trainer solutions that align pedagogy with industry practice
- Modular systems for scaling programs across campuses and contexts
Above all, institutions need solutions that reduce complexity, strengthen their credibility, and help them deliver outcomes at scale.
This is where international providers can lead — not just by offering products, but by co-designing models that can withstand political cycles, funding delays, and regional disparities.
Join the Worlddidac Delegation – Where Insight Meets Opportunity
Worlddidac’s 2025 delegation is built around meaningful connection. It’s a structured, country-level engagement with the actors shaping education in the region — ministries, school leaders, procurement authorities, and distribution networks. This is not just about market exploration — it’s about aligning with systems at a turning point.
Countries covered: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile
Timing: July–August 2025
