Since the early 1990s, there has been an increasing interest in technology training centers to build employability options of socially excluded groups in Latin America.
Four researchers ? Joyojeet Pal, Jay Freistadt, Michele Frix, and Phil Neff ? from the Technology & Social Change (TASCHA) group at the University of Washington Information School examined investments into computer centers providing basic technology training for people with disabilities and at-risk youth. Using primary research in five countries ? Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela ? this report discusses the ways in which technology training impacts the employability concerns of two populations with diverse needs and histories of social and economic exclusion from formal labor markets. This report provides scholars and policy-makers an expansive survey of the landscape of issues around technology employability for socially excluded populations. Findings are broadly divided into three segments: Environmental factors that impact such projects including the aspirational environment and the discourse of technology Short-term impacts of these programs including the creation of pathways to employment, community-building, as well as impacts on self-esteem and stigmatization and the potential of mismatched employment expectations from access to these programs Factors that influence the success of such programs including cost, certification, and accessible technology Download a PDF of the full report at http://cis.washington.edu/files/2009/11/tascha_ict-employability-latin-america_200910.pdf
