CFAs: Scaling Micro-Certifications for Adolescents (Colombia)

Deadline: 20-Apr-2026

UNICEF is supporting an education and skills initiative in Colombia to help adolescents move from secondary school into higher education, technical training, and employment. With an indicative budget of USD 80,000, the strategy focuses on micro-certifications, partner capacity building, and stronger school-to-work pathways, especially in vulnerable regions affected by conflict and migration.

Overview

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is supporting innovative strategies in Colombia to improve how adolescents transition from secondary education to post-secondary opportunities and the workforce.

The initiative focuses on:

• Education access and retention
• Adolescent skills development
• Technical skills through micro-certifications
• Methodology transfer to partners
• Stronger pathways to higher education and employment

Why This Matters in Colombia

Many adolescents in Colombia face serious barriers in completing school and accessing future opportunities.

About 22.8% of working-age youth in Colombia—around 2.5 million people—are neither studying nor working. This reflects:

• Low school retention
• Gaps in education quality and access
• Weak links between education and labor market needs
• Limited flexible learning pathways

The challenge is more severe in:

• Arauca
• Chocó
• Nariño
• Norte de Santander

In these areas, armed conflict and the migration crisis further disrupt education and increase dropout and protection risks.

What Are Micro-Certifications?

Micro-certifications are short, practical learning programs that certify specific technical or job-relevant skills.

In this UNICEF initiative, they are designed to:

• Match student interests
• Align with local economic sectors
• Include green skills and future-ready competencies
• Be delivered in online and in-person formats
• Be validated by educational institutions
• Be recognized by universities as flexible pathways to further study or work

These programs can help adolescents build practical skills faster than traditional long-term courses.

Key Strategy Areas

UNICEF’s approach focuses on two main actions.

1. Strengthening Technical Skills

The initiative will support technical micro-certifications that are connected to:

• Student interests
• Regional productive vocations
• Local labor market demand
• Sustainable and green economy skills

This can improve both employability and access to post-secondary education.

2. Transferring Methodology to Partners

UNICEF also aims to help local partners adopt and scale the model.

This includes:

• Training implementing partners
• Sharing delivery methods
• Standardizing implementation tools
• Building long-term institutional capacity

This makes the approach more sustainable and replicable.

Existing Programs Supporting This Work

This strategy builds on existing cooperation programs that have already shown positive results.

Key programs include:

• 2025–2028 UNICEF and National Government Program: Lives on a Trajectory: Opportunities from School
• Multi-Year Resilience Programme II (MYRP-2) in Arauca

Reported results include:

• Increased student enrollment
• Teacher training in inclusive education
• Improved teaching methodologies
• Better institutional coordination
• Reduced dropout and recruitment risks

How the Initiative Works

The model is designed to create clear school-to-work and school-to-higher-education pathways.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Identify barriers preventing adolescents from moving beyond secondary school.
2. Select technical skill areas based on local needs and student interests.
3. Develop short micro-certification learning pathways.
4. Deliver programs through online and in-person formats.
5. Validate certifications through educational institutions.
6. Connect adolescents to universities, vocational training, or employment pathways.
7. Train local partners to continue and expand the model.

Who Is Eligible?

The article does not provide a formal public eligibility list, but the likely target group includes:

• Adolescents in Colombia
• Students transitioning from secondary education
• Youth at risk of dropout or exclusion
• Adolescents in conflict-affected or migration-affected areas
• Learners needing flexible pathways into education or employment

Likely institutional partners include:

• Schools
• NGOs and civil society organizations
• Vocational training providers
• Universities
• Local government and education actors

Expected Outcomes

The initiative is expected to produce:

• Stronger implementing partner capacity
• More adolescents accessing micro-certification pathways
• Better links between schools, universities, and vocational institutions
• Standardized protocols for micro-certification delivery
• A scalable and replicable model for adolescent transition support

Budget

The initiative has an indicative budget of USD 80,000.

This funding is intended to support:

• Skills pathway development
• Partner training
• Micro-certification implementation
• Standardized delivery protocols
• Expansion of adolescent access to technical learning opportunities

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Programs like this are stronger when they avoid these common issues:

• Offering skills training without linking it to real education or job pathways
• Ignoring local labor market demand
• Failing to secure recognition from schools or universities
• Making training too theoretical instead of practical
• Not building partner capacity for long-term delivery

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is UNICEF supporting in Colombia?

UNICEF is supporting an initiative that helps adolescents transition from secondary school into higher education, technical training, and employment through micro-certifications and skills development.

What are micro-certifications?

They are short, skills-based learning programs that certify specific competencies and can support access to further education or jobs.

Who are the main beneficiaries?

The main beneficiaries are adolescents in Colombia, especially those facing barriers to completing school or moving into post-secondary education and employment.

Which regions are highlighted?

The initiative specifically highlights Arauca, Chocó, Nariño, and Norte de Santander due to conflict and migration-related education challenges.

How will the certifications be delivered?

The micro-certifications will be offered in online and in-person formats and validated by educational institutions.

What is the budget for this initiative?

The strategy has an indicative budget of USD 80,000.

Why is this initiative important?

It is important because it helps reduce the gap between schooling and opportunity by giving adolescents flexible, practical, and recognized pathways into higher education and the workforce.

Conclusion

UNICEF’s Colombia initiative is a practical effort to improve adolescent transitions from school to higher education and employment. By using micro-certifications, strengthening local partners, and focusing on vulnerable regions, the strategy aims to create an inclusive, scalable, and sustainable model for better education-to-work outcomes.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.