Guatemala

Click the pins in the map to learn more about our partner institutions!
Pins denote main campus location of each university. In partnership with each university, Advance works in multiple campus locations across the country.

Priority Economic Sectors

  • Tourism 
  • Processed Foods 
  • Non-alcoholic Beverages 
  • Legumes & Vegetables 
  • Textiles & Apparel 

Priority Skills

  • Social Emotional: communication, teamwork
  • Cognitive: problem solving, analytical thinking
  • Technical: business and tourism administration

Country Context

Main park of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Guatemala is a land of diversity. It is multicultural and multilingual, with 25 different languages spoken across the country of just 15 million people. While the country has experienced robust economic growth for several years, more than 7 million Guatemalans still suffer from extreme poverty. Millions more lack access to necessary social services like education, and severe inequality continues to stymie social and economic progress. Guatemalan youth, comprising more than 50% of the total population, are particularly vulnerable.

Advance’s Labor Market Assessment identified four priority growth sectors–legumes & vegetables, processed foods & beverages, textiles & apparel, and tourism–which have the potential to generate quality employment opportunities for Guatemalan youth. Yet, in order in order to succeed in these industries, Guatemalan youth need to be equipped with the technical, cognitive, and social emotional skills that employers demand. In strengthening technical education institutions across Guatemala, this is exactly what Advance is working to achieve.