Training of professional technicians and technologists. SENA. Colombia.
Training of technicians and technologists is the main strategy through which SENA aims to achieve its mission. It is intended to develop and strengthen the skills of young people for labour market entry.
Young people who have passed grade 11 (average level). If the candidate is referred by a company, entity or organization, he must demonstrate that he has the appropriate sponsorship or agreement of intent on the part of the entity. However, it is not necessary to have sponsorship to enter training programs.
SENA offers young people free training programs in the levels of professional technicians and technologists, according to Law 749 of 2002, which is organized by the public service of higher education in the modalities of professional technical and technological cycles. Its philosophy is geared primarily to students of these educational levels that may continue their education to the professional level and at the same time, have the opportunity to enter the job market.
Training is done through a theoretical- practical education process, designed to develop technical, technological knowledge, attitudes and values that enable people work in a productive activity. This training involves the mastery, appropriation and adaptation of skills to do their jobs effectively, posing and solving problems creatively.
Technicians Training: students can continue their studies until a professional level and at the same time have the opportunity to have a job. It is aimed at generating skills and intellectual development, abilities and expertise as well as technical knowledge required for performing a job or in a specific area in the production and service sectors. A student who graduates from this cycle can be linked to the labor market, make expertise to deepen his knowledge in the technical field or continue with the second cycle or technological level.
This program lasts one and a half year (2,640 hours), distributed in a school-year (1760 hours) and a productive stage (880 hours). In some programs, the duration of the teaching and productive stages have the same intensity, ie 1,320 hours (total of 2640 hours).
Technologists training: this training is geared to the theoretical understanding for the development of innovative and intelligent thoughts and to students with the ability to design, build, run, manage, process and trade in the markets. It also seeks to solve the problems that demand the production and service sectors of the country. They last two years (3520 hours) distributed in school stage (2,640 hours) and productive stage (880 hours). In some programs the length of the school stage is of 2,200 hours and 1,320 hours the productive one, to reach 3520 hours as maximum.
SENA offers curricular programs organized by modules for the mentioned levels, which promote the integral training of human being in all its dimensions and enable the development of basic skills (axiological, mathematics, communication, and biophysical), generic competencies or generic (work in computer, information management, and problem solving approach); specific skills (technical and technological of specialty or occupation). In addition, all programs include the development of entrepreneurial mind and basic skills in English and computer.
The program has impacted positively and significantly in some aspects of the working conditions of its beneficiaries: between 7% and 10% higher labour market entry, higher incomes and social security affiliation
