IBM (NYSE: IBM), Federación Internacional Fe y Alegría, AUSJAL (International Association of Jesuit Universities) and Magis Americas recently signed a significant agreement to expand P-TECH's educational model in Latin America, starting with 45 schools , including three in Argentina, 14 in Colombia, 15 in Ecuador, one in Guatemala and 12 in Peru. In Brazil, the model started in early 2019, as a result of a partnership with Centro Paula Souza.
P-TECH provides students with access to education on new technologies, enabling them to earn a high school, technical and higher education degree in areas such as AI, Cloud and Cybersecurity.
"Despite the growing working-age population, Latin America currently has a serious shortage of professional and technical skills. Approximately one-fifth of Latin American youth, around 30 million people, are not employed or participate in academic activities or training" , said Ana Paula Assis, general manager of IBM Latin America. "To address this growing need, IBM created the P-TECH education model to fill gaps in the workforce and help the next generation of business and technology leaders succeed."
In 2020, students will begin a curriculum lasting at least three years. This effort will add to the worldwide reach of schools around the world that currently have the P-TECH program.
"We are very proud to support the expansion of the innovative and inclusive P-TECH model in Latin America to provide students with more life-changing skills and career opportunities," said Guillermo Miranda, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at IBM. "IBM has always emphasized the importance of investing in the progress of regions around the world through education. With this initiative, we are leading the way for Latin American students to develop the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy."
IBM, Fe y Alegría, AUSJAL and Magis Americas will also create a working group to collaborate and plan the expansion and growth of the model, enabling new alliances with technical schools. The program will help high school students in the Fe y Alegría global network acquire critical workplace skills and provide higher education credentials, opening up new professional and university opportunities. In addition, IBM will provide students with access to its learning platforms, including ptech.org and SkillsBuild.org, enabling them to learn more comprehensively.
"Fe y Alegría has been working in education with community groups for many years, and we believe that P-TECH is a great initiative that promotes social inclusion through STEM learning," said Carlos Fritzen, coordinator of Federación Internacional Fe y Alegría. "Allowing equal educational opportunities is fundamental."
In the coming months, IBM, Fe y Alegría, AUSJAL and Magis Americas will work with the business sector preparing students for the world of work with initiatives such as individual tutorials, interview simulations, company visits, training for teachers and students, workshops on related professions. , professional skills courses and paid internships.
"The agreement is committed to the creation of innovation models that articulate quality and inclusion in the integral development of our countries", said Ernesto Cavassa, dean of the Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University (Lima) and president of the Association of Universities Entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America (AUSJAL). "This association includes 30 universities, some of which will participate in the program through the training of P-TECH and Fe y Alegria professors, incorporation of program graduates into universities that favor them, monitoring and research of results, and advocacy tasks that allow the contribution of technological innovation in the transformation of Latin American societies", concluded Cavassa.
About P-TECH
P-TECH is a program that combines classroom teaching, private sector mentoring and on-the-job experiences, providing a pathway for students to pursue high school, technical and higher education degrees articulated in STEM-focused careers ( Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Launched by IBM in 2011 in partnership with educators in New York City, P-TECH is a direct response to the challenge of the shortage of technical skills needed for the digital revolution we are experiencing. IBM has been leading the way, partnering with governments, educational institutions and companies around the world, preparing young people to meet the changing needs of the market.
Currently, 20 countries have announced their intention to implement P-TECH. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, UK and USA are already part of the program. UU.
In Latin America, Colombia was the first Latin American country to announce P-TECH, in association with the Ministry of Education and the National Learning Service (SENA), followed by Brazil, which partnered with Centro Paula Souza, largest professional institution in Latin America. In July 2019, Argentina announced the P-TECH program with the Escola Técnica Nº2 de Munro, in association with the Ministry of Education of Buenos Aires and the Instituto Superior de Formação Técnico.
About Fe and Joy
Fe y Alegría is an International Movement for Popular Education and Social Promotion that promotes comprehensive, inclusive and quality educational programs from and for the communities in which it operates. Its objective is the transformation of people to build just and democratic social systems.
Worldwide, Fe y Alegría works with a network of 1.5 million students in 1,279 public schools and, specifically in Latin America, is present in 17 countries.
About AUSJAL
The Association of Universities Entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America (AUSJAL) is a network made up of 30 universities, which works with the support of 13 Networks and Working Groups: communities of academics, professionals and university authorities, who voluntarily participate in the materialization of common projects that aim to improve the training and growth of students in the region.
The institutions work in coordination with the Executive Secretariat of the AUSJAL Network and with the institutional support of their respective universities. They are the driving force behind the projects and initiatives carried out by the Association across the continent.
About Magis Americas
Magis Americas is a non-profit organization based in the United States that mobilizes efforts to accompany social organizations in the southern hemisphere in building just communities and societies that respect the dignity of each person and equity in opportunities such as in the defense of rights humans.
Its mission is to encourage, support and accompany Jesuit partners in the region, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. Magis Américas promotes sustainable and impactful responses to the injustices faced by those who live on the margins.
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