According to figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), only 22% of people, between 25 and 64 years old, in Colombia have a university degree. Many of the workers in the country have no studies or have simply finished high school, so many of them did not earn even half of a minimum wage last year, that is, about 400 thousand pesos.
The DANE in its figures showed that half of Colombian employees, that is, 10.2 million people out of 20.1 million who represent the labor force in the country in 2020, earned last year incomes equivalent to a minimum wage or less.
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Of these 20.1 million people, 6.1 milliondid not receive even half of a minimum wage, that is, they earned less than 438,900 pesos each month. 4.1 million workers earned between a minimum and a minimum, which last year was 877,803 pesos. Only 4.1 million people who worked last year were able to access more than one minimum wage in Colombia.
At this point people question whetherstudying will increase job opportunities and monthly income.
Ariel Alonso Vega, specialist in Higher Education management and general manager of the FUCS, assures that a person who finishes his higher education studies at the technical level can earn up to 12% more than a bachelor and up to 46% if he finishes the professional level. This shows animportance in the academic preparation of future workers.
“Preparing and increasing schooling is a guarantee of improving the quality of life of every Colombian and increases the country’s possibilities,” added the expert.
The DANE showed that 46% of people who did not study anything did not earn even half a minimum wagelast year. That’s why the expert gives advice to young people to find motivating goals and objectives.
“Let them fulfill their dreams by finding the alternatives and opportunities that youth gives them. That if they opt for entrepreneurship or the development of activities as employees, they always seek to preparethemselves and in this way have greater tools to succeed, “concluded Vega.
In the country, 84% of university employees had the possibility of earning more than one minimum wage and morelast year.
It should be noted that a World Bank study showed that technical higher education programs can be an effective tool in times of crisis such as the current covid-19 pandemic. What becomes a good alternative for people who want to start their studies and acquire new skills to improve their working life.
