Evidence of barriers to access and completion of technical education in LAC

• In Event: Mission possible! Understanding and overcoming barriers to technical education in Latin America and the Caribbean

Proposal

This paper presents a regional analysis of the results of the Study of Barriers to Access and Completion (SBAC) of technical education in Honduras, Guatemala, and Jamaica to identify obstacles that disadvantaged students face in accessing and graduating from technical degree programs.

Using a mixed methods approach that involved surveys and interviews of over 600 youth per country, as well as focus groups with youth and community members, the study analyzed barriers from three perspectives – gender, community, and student. A comparison of regional level results from the three countries shows that key common barriers to accessing and completing technical education fall into four categories: situational barriers, institutional barriers, barriers related to academic trajectories, and dispositional barriers.

Understanding situational and dispositional barriers – including age, family commitment, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and personal confidence – can help technical tertiary institutions to better define, identify, and reach out to disadvantaged students in their community. At the same time, the institutional and academic trajectory barriers, such as limited financial aid offerings, unclear or burdensome admissions practices, limited student support services, and low-quality courses, can inform the design of capacity strengthening efforts in technical tertiary institutions.

The paper will highlight challenges that all three countries face in helping students access and complete technical education degrees and recommendations for helping students and universities to overcomes these challenges through sustainable changes to university systems, structures, and services.

Author

• Ana Florez, FHI 360