These are the challenges the next government will face with young people in Colombia.
- Apr 19
- 3 min read
- The Corona Foundation outlines the main challenges and actions within reach of
next Government to improve the quality of life of Colombian youth.
Colombia has more than 12 million young people, but 5 million of them are neither studying nor working, or are employed in the informal sector. Within the framework of the 2026-2030 electoral debate, the Corona Foundation, based on its study " Youth in Society ," identified the country's main shortcomings regarding its youth and proposes a priority agenda in three areas: secondary education, post-secondary education, and employment.
"We found that 6 out of 10 young people faced barriers in the last year to accessing education, and 5 out of 10 to finding work. This reveals something fundamental: while opportunities exist in Colombia, they are still insufficient, irrelevant, and deeply unequal ," said Rafael Arias, Education and Employment Manager at Fundación Corona.
1. Secondary education: compulsory and purposeful
Although 5 out of 10 young people value high school as key to developing
knowledge, only 13 out of every 100 students who enter school reach
Grade 11 with essential learning developed in an integrated manner (Observatory of Educational Realities, 2026).
The Corona Foundation proposes that presidential candidates set goals
specific measures to restructure grades 10 and 11 around the life project, and for the new Congress to take a pending step: to make secondary education mandatory and to set the resources that this requires.
2. Modern postmedia education
24% of young people lack the resources to access post-secondary education, 19% cannot find options near their homes, and 18% cannot find programs that fit their schedules. This is compounded by a 60% skills gap between the abilities of Colombian talent and the needs of employers (Manpower Group, 2026).
The proposal: to allocate a portion of current post-secondary education resources to non-traditional programs (micro-credentials, short-term dual training, and foundational courses in specific areas of knowledge) with measurable employment outcomes. The Foundation believes Congress should unify higher education and vocational training, including SENA (National Learning Service), into a single system with quality standards focused on employability.
3. Effective Employment
For 20% of young people, the main barrier to employment is that they are required to have more experience than they have; 15% cannot certify the experience they possess and 14% lack a network of contacts.
The Corona Foundation proposes concrete goals to reduce youth unemployment to single digits, with results-based paid employment programs, selection processes based on skills, not degrees or experience, and financial incentives for companies that hire young people.
"We call on the candidates and the new Congress to put young people at the center of their agenda. The reforms prioritized today will yield immediate results in terms of their opportunities and the development of the country ," Arias concluded.
Some key figures to understand the problem:
5 million young people do not study, do not work, or work in the informal sector (Alliance for Labor Inclusion, 2025).
6 out of 10 faced barriers to accessing education (Figures and Concepts, 2026).
Only 13 out of every 100 reach 11th grade with essential learning (Observatory of Educational Realities, 2026).
60% skills gap between talent and employers (Manpower, 2026).
20% point to the requirement of experience as the main employment barrier (Figures and Concepts, 2026).
Press release
Luis Carlos Pérez G
