Colombia is working to build a more inclusive digital future by ensuring that internet connectivity leads to meaningful opportunities rather than simply providing online access. The country’s digital transformation strategy focuses on equipping young people with digital skills, improving access to decent jobs, supporting entrepreneurship, creating safe digital environments, and encouraging youth participation in shaping digital policies. The initiative also seeks to reduce the territorial, gender, and social inequalities that continue to limit access to digital opportunities.
Although internet penetration among Colombian youth is high, digital participation remains concentrated in social networking rather than education or employment. Most young people use online platforms for social interaction, while far fewer access online learning opportunities or use digital tools to search for jobs. This highlights the gap between connectivity and economic opportunity, demonstrating that internet access alone is not enough to improve livelihoods.
Colombia has already made significant progress in developing digital talent through national training initiatives that have equipped more than 200,000 people with digital skills, with women representing more than half of the participants. However, many young people, particularly those living in the Pacific and Caribbean regions, continue to face structural barriers such as weaker infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, and restricted access to professional networks and markets. These challenges prevent digital skills from translating into sustainable economic opportunities.
Young Colombians are already contributing to the country’s digital transformation through entrepreneurship, content creation, civic technology, and grassroots innovation. Despite their creativity and potential, many communities remain excluded from the benefits of the digital economy due to persistent regional disparities. Expanding digital infrastructure alone is insufficient unless it is accompanied by inclusive economic opportunities and support systems.
To address these challenges, the Inclusive Digital Transformation Facility (IDTF), supported by the Joint SDG Fund and the European Union and implemented by the United Nations system in Colombia, promotes meaningful connectivity that links digital access with employment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and civic participation. The initiative aims to transform connectivity into a pathway for inclusive development rather than treating it as an end goal.
The programme has actively engaged young people through national digital innovation events, where participants explored future digital scenarios using immersive technologies and discussed practical solutions for reducing digital inequalities. These activities encouraged dialogue among youth leaders, technology experts, civil society organizations, government representatives, and international partners on improving digital education, strengthening links between digital skills and labor market demands, and expanding opportunities for innovation.
Another key focus of the initiative is promoting youth entrepreneurship by connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with training, mentorship, and employment pathways that reflect the needs of their local communities. The programme emphasizes locally driven solutions that support economic inclusion while encouraging young people to participate in shaping Colombia’s digital future.
A defining feature of the initiative is its commitment to decentralizing Colombia’s digital economy by prioritizing historically underserved regions, particularly the Pacific and Caribbean. Through collaboration among public institutions, private companies, civil society organizations, and local communities, the programme seeks to ensure that investments in digital infrastructure, innovation, and workforce development generate lasting benefits beyond major urban centers.
Running through October 2027, the programme represents a long-term effort to build an inclusive digital economy that creates employment, supports entrepreneurship, reduces regional inequalities, and empowers young people to become active participants in Colombia’s digital transformation. By integrating connectivity with skills development, innovation, and inclusive policymaking, the initiative contributes to sustainable economic growth and advances broader national and global development goals.
