2.7 Million Young Colombians Neither Study Nor Work

A study by the Faculty of Economics of the University of the Andes, titled 'Demographic Change and Higher and Post-Secondary Education in Colombia,' has revealed alarming data. In Colombia, approximately 2.7 million young people between the ages of 14 and 28 are neither studying nor working. This group, known as 'ninis,' remains on the sidelines of the education system and the labor market. 'This population will likely enter the labor market late with low incomes, or in informal and low-skilled jobs,' explains Hernando Zuleta, leader of the study. While the working-age population is shrinking, youth unemployment remains high: nearly 20% for those under 28, compared to 9% for older age groups. The reasons behind this situation are diverse: a lack of access to quality education, financial difficulties that force prioritizing income generation, a scarcity of formal jobs for inexperienced youth, and, for many women, caregiving responsibilities that limit their participation. In a context of falling birth rates and population aging, incorporating 'ninis' into the education system and the formal labor market is a crucial task. Nevertheless, there is stagnation in university and technological enrollment and high dropout rates in technical programs. Faced with this scenario, the challenge is twofold: to prevent young people from being left out of the education and labor systems, and to ensure that training is of high quality and meets market demands. The research proposes several lines of action to strengthen technical training and employability with a focus on inclusion and equity: updating the regulation of post-secondary education to improve quality and labor relevance; fostering short-term technical and technological programs in growth sectors like digital services, advanced manufacturing, and green logistics; promoting incentives for the formal hiring of young people through temporary subsidies, benefit relief, and flexible contribution schemes; reinforcing public employment services to integrate vocational guidance in secondary education, advice for first jobs, and training in soft skills; promoting dual education, internships, and paid practicums through partnerships between educational institutions and companies; designing gender-focused policies to expand care services, such as free childcare, to facilitate the labor participation of young women; facilitating the school-to-work transition and strengthening competency certification systems that recognize learning acquired in informal or unstructured contexts. Beyond the numbers, what is at stake is the future of the country: every young person who manages to connect with their studies or a formal job represents an opportunity for personal growth and economic development for a more equitable and innovative Colombia. This also highlights the gap between available training and the needs of the productive sector, which demands up-to-date and relevant talent. In contrast, higher education coverage has increased to nearly 55%, although it remains below the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which stands at 75%. The risk is clear: loss of human capital and lower long-term economic sustainability. However, this situation also opens up opportunities. This would help mitigate the effects of demographic change: the reduction of labor income and contributions to the pension system, as well as strengthening the country's productive base. The 'ninis' are young people who neither study nor work. By Johanna Ortiz Rocha, University of the Andes.