Annual report with the purpose of analyzing in detail the state of Inclusive Employment in Colombia.

The Corona Foundation, the ANDI Foundation, and the USAID and ACDI/VOCA Partnerships for Reconciliation Program present the first National Inclusive Employment Report (INEI) 2018-2019. The report will be published annually to analyze in detail the state of inclusive employment in Colombia.

This report is a commitment by the three entities to provide the country with tools that allow for a more comprehensive view of Inclusive Employment, analyze its main territorial characteristics, highlight the numerous efforts already being made by institutional actors, and propose lines that facilitate the meeting, sustainability and impact of the actions undertaken by these actors.

The 2018-2019 National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) report outlines the barriers faced by women, youth, ethnic groups, people with disabilities, victims of violence, people in the process of reintegration or reincorporation, migrants, and LGBTQ+ individuals on their path to the labor market, from a broad perspective that addresses their trajectories starting with education. In this regard, the report analyzes the situation in 64 regions of the country regarding secondary education, post-secondary education and training, job placement services, employment, and labor market conditions. It also presents the country with an initial characterization of the inclusive employment ecosystem, cataloging more than 300 initiatives that are developing actions aimed at mitigating the main barriers these populations face along their career paths.

The document has been prepared under the framework of the Inclusive Employment Model, a program launched by the three entities in 2016 and whose premise is to serve as a mechanism for identifying lessons learned, accelerating processes in cities and enhancing the efforts already being made in the country.

This first report is the result of the work of the Education and Employment Management team at Fundación Corona and the Inclusive Employment Model Program team, who have worked diligently since 2017 on developing this initial draft. It is also made possible thanks to the contributions of several members of the Echavarría family who believed in the project and supported the idea of developing a report that would highlight the difficulties faced by various population segments in accessing and remaining in the labor market. Finally, it is the result of a strategic commitment rooted in the legacy of Ángela Escallón and her conviction regarding the necessity and importance of this report for the country.

We hope that the INEI will serve as a meeting point for stakeholders who share the inclusive employment agenda, fostering their collaboration and encouraging an annual dialogue to analyze key progress, challenges, and lessons learned. All of this is aimed at achieving significant and timely results in mitigating the barriers faced by so many vulnerable populations.