The Mayor’s Office of Medellín, in collaboration with the U.S. company Rockwell Automation, has launched a series of motivational meetings for ninth-grade students in the city’s educational institutions. This initiative seeks to broaden the vision of young people, equipping them with the tools necessary to become professional developers and programmers in the near future.
Rockwell Automation, a leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, is partnering with Medellín as part of the “Smart School” program within the 2024-2027 Development Plan “Medellín Te Quiere”. This program promotes inspiring learning environments through the provision of technological and digital tools.
This alliance aims to raise vocational awareness among ninth-graders and spark their interest in engineering and programming.
“We continue to advance our comprehensive strategy for digital skills and creative industries training for all students. Today, we are hosting an event in collaboration with Rockwell Automation to train students from public schools,” said Luis Guillermo Patiño, Secretary of Education.
In this initial phase of the program, 3,000 students are expected to be inspired through awareness-raising sessions held at various strategic locations. The selected venues include: the Institución Inem José Félix de Restrepo in Commune 14-El Poblado; ITM University Institution – Fraternity Campus, serving Communes 8-Villa Hermosa, 9-Buenos Aires, and 10-La Candelaria; Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo in Communes 5-Castilla, 6-Doce de Octubre, and 7-Robledo; Centro de Innovación del Maestro – Mova in Communes 1-Popular, 2-Santa Cruz, and 3-Manrique; and Comfenalco Antioquia Guayabal in Communes 15-Guayabal, 16-Belén, and the San Antonio de Prado district.
“This project is very important because it provides us with clearer guidance on our career goals. I am very interested in engineering, and thanks to this program, I have a better understanding of what I can achieve,” said Juan José Torres Vélez, a student at I.E. INEM José Félix Restrepo and a participant in the first meeting.
The strategy will be progressively expanded to the city’s educational institutions.
For María Fernanda Galeano, Secretary of Economic Development, “This initiative will develop digital skills that will help consolidate students’ professional futures. We are focused on attracting foreign direct investment and connecting companies with our city’s development through job creation and, in this case, through social development via training and educational opportunities.”
Since 2008, the Medellín Agency for Cooperation and Investment (ACI Medellín) has facilitated US$763 million in foreign investment through 98 projects from the United States, particularly from companies in the technology services sector.
The student engagements will emphasize the importance of vocational orientation in information technologies, integrating aspects for personal and professional growth for future developers.