Literacy and Education

Education has been a source of progress for Colombia as a nation. 91.3% of those age 15 and over can read/write. (29)

Overall, Colombia has been making large gains in the area of education. In 1985 the average years of schooling was 5.6 while in 1993 it has risen to 7.1.   Also, the amount of spending on education in regard to GDP has seen gradual increases. In 1994 money spent on education was 2.54% of GDP while in 1996 is was 3.02% and educational spending will increase to 5.51% of GDP. (30)

Currently the number of children reaching higher education (beyond basic secondary/vocational school) has quadrupled over the past 20 years and was 7% in 1996. (31) Colombia has a strong university network that includes the national system as well as private institutions.

Colombia is also home to the largest science and technology theme park for children, Maloka. This park has interactive activities that immerses children in technology and its relation to science. A park of this sorts that exposes children to technology should have positive results for the future of Colombia’s technology areas.

Computer Professionals

Colombia’s focus on technology is strongly on the technical aspects such as programming. The vast majority of the university programs concerning computers are pure computer science programs rather than MIS programs that highlight softer skills.

Colombia is still largely concerned with agriculture, but a simple division of the labor force in 1990 by occupation places 46% in services, 30% in agriculture, and 24% in industry. Any computer professionals would be found among that 24%, but we could expect higher numbers since then.

The net migration rate in Colombia is 0.1 migrant for every 1,000 persons. (32)

With such a small number, we can extract that not many people are leaving Colombia overall, and therefore emigration of computer professionals is low.

IT Supply and Demand

Colombia continues to meet its demand for computer professionals while the stability and opportunity of the area keeps drawing people to it. Because Colombia is not a society completely engulfed in information technology such as the US or other industrialized nations, the focus on Colombian IT is still on programming and not on other areas such as training or data warehousing. Until the overall need for computer professionals expands, Colombia will continue to meet its technical needs.

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