Labor and educational status of rural youth graduates of livestock technology: mixed analysis of associated factors in municipalities of Caldas, Colombia

Abstract

Generating high-level employment and educational options for rural youth stimulates their socioeconomic progress, expanding their chances of entering the world of work, and contributes to improve the quality of life in the countryside. The objective of this research was to analyze the evolution of these aspects with graduates in Technology in Livestock Development from the University of Manizales, participating in the program University on the Field (New School pedagogical model) from 2015 to 2019, in five municipalities in the department of Caldas (Colombia). Through four established categories, this work used a quantitative-qualitative methodology, with three types of surveys as analysis instruments, addressed to graduates, families and livestock entrepreneurs of each area. It was possible to show that the majority of graduates chose to work instead of continuing high-level studies, because of few job opportunities in the territories, and the lack of interest of local businessmen to generate employment for livestock technologists. This work emphasizes the need to optimize the pedagogical model with the implementation of strategies such as timely vocational guidance, direct labor insertion of graduates in research projects and the strengthening of current and emerging job skills, to improve the quality of higher education and the transition to the world of work of young people in rural areas of Caldas.