Educational institutions, teachers, and students of all levels have struggled to adapt to the world of “virtual everything.” Virtual education has been one of the main global challenges during the long periods of lockdown derived from the COVID-19 pandemic.
And if the challenge has been enormous for colleges and universities – on which much of the efforts and attention have focused during this complex period – the challenges of technical and technological education have been even greater.
Q10 partnered with Microsoft
Q10 realized that it was time to put its proven experience within the reach of thousands of institutions that did not they could allow their students to run out of opportunities, according to a statement.
Years ago, Q10 had developed, together with the Microsoft DreamSpark technology startup acceleration programs and later with Microsoft BizSpark, a complete and integrated technology solution that included administrative, financial, customer service, and remote education platforms. The complete migration to the Azure cloud, and a proven experience in the development of technologies for virtual education, Q10 became the ally for hundreds of training centers that required a solution that answered all their challenges.
Thus, Q10 with its facilities to integrate all academic and financial needs, academic repositories, enrollment and enrollment, groups, and interactions between students and teachers in a robust and secure platform, managed to enable more than 500 new institutions and It gave remote access to technical, technological and higher education to more than 1 million more students during the pandemic, expanding to more than 14 countries in Latin America. “For Q10 it has been a source of pride to collaborate with institutions that have a huge social impact to improve the quality of life of millions of people, a great contribution to productivity, the economic development of the country, and a real impact on inclusion and equity. ”States Steven Moncayo, CEO of Q10.
In Colombia, where Q10 is already the technological ally of more than 2,000 educational institutions, the opportunities continue to be very important. Reports such as that of the EOE of the network of cities how are we doing show that there is a lot of room to expand the opportunities of millions of young people seeking better training and employment options, something critical if it is considered that youth unemployment in Colombia has reached levels that exceed 23%. The potential is clear: in 2016 39,484 technical and technological education students graduated, and in 2017 29% (175,625) of the vacancies registered in the Public Employment Service in Bogotá corresponded to this type of profile.
However, in Colombia, it is a segment that tends to have fewer resources and usually serves populations with less economic capacity. Therefore, its digital transformation is critical: efficiencies and the ability to operate are essential to ensure continuity and promote quality education. Currently, Q10 works with technical education and human development institutions in Colombia, which impact populations in strata 1, 2, and 3. It already has a presence in more than 14 countries in Latin America, including Peru, where it already has more than 300 clients. As a result of the pandemic, nearly 500 new institutions have implemented their services, incorporating more than 1’000,000 new students using the solution.
In 2020, thanks to the success of this company, Q10 was supported by Microsoft for Start-ups, the program that offers a technical, financial, and administrative support for Latin American entrepreneurs. Microsoft offers Azure credits so that these ventures can expand and offer their solution to many other institutions in the region, which in this case will not only be for technical training and human development, but will also include colleges, universities, and all kinds of educational organizations. . “Entrepreneurship is one of the main engines that the economy will recover and Microsoft for startups is in charge of accelerating the growth and expansion of these projects. It is a privilege for Microsoft to be able to support this combination of entrepreneurship and supply for education, which are the true engines of inclusive economic development, ”says Andrés García, Director of Small and Medium-sized Companies at Microsoft Colombia, who hopes to accompany Q10 in its plans to become a segment leader in 5 years and expand rapidly in markets such as Mexico, Ecuador, and Panama.
Read also: Education and Technology in Latin America