Inducción formación Estud-IA | Capa 1

Main Ideas

Purpose of Estud-IA

Estud-IA is a digital-skills training program led by the Medellín Mayor’s Office through its Secretariat of Economic Development. It is delivered in partnership with EAFIT University’s Nodo technology center and the Gilberto Echeverri Mejía Corporation, with Platzi supporting the online learning component.

The program aims to make technology and digital skills practical and accessible, helping participants apply what they learn to work, business, entrepreneurship, and everyday life. In a recorded message, the Mayor’s Office described a broader goal of training 50,000 people in digital skills, artificial intelligence, and other knowledge relevant to work and business.

Training Areas and Structure

The program offers training in six areas:

• Programming
• Data analysis
• Cloud infrastructure
• Cybersecurity
• Artificial intelligence
• Digital marketing

At registration, participants selected a training area and one course within it. Presenters described 18 introductory course options across these areas.

The program has four layers:

1. Layer 1 — Digital introduction: Broad foundational training; the focus of the induction.
2. Layer 2 — Specialized training: More specialized knowledge transfer, including an in-person component.
3. Layer 3 — Industry certification.
4. Layer 4 — Retention and employability: A cross-cutting layer offering employability and other support throughout the learning journey.

Participants in this cohort cannot switch layers, training areas, or—at the time of the induction—schedules. Each participant takes one course. The layers run in parallel rather than sequentially.

How Layer 1 Works

Layer 1 is fully virtual and totals 60 hours:

• 36 asynchronous hours of self-paced learning through Platzi.
• 24 synchronous hours in live Zoom sessions with instructors.

Live sessions are scheduled twice a week for three hours each, totaling six hours per week over four weeks. They are intended to complement—not simply repeat—the Platzi material, using practical activities, challenges, and examples related to participants’ work and business contexts.

Participants should check their welcome email for their confirmed course, group, schedule, and access information. Platzi instructions and a login video were to be sent by email. Sessions that fall on public holidays would be made up later.

Participation and Certification

Certification requires at least 80% completion or participation in both the Platzi work and the synchronous sessions. Speakers emphasized that learners should aim to attend and complete as much as possible, since attendance and platform progress are tracked.

To record attendance:

• Join Zoom using the name, identity document number, and email address associated with program registration.
• Submit the attendance form provided during each class. The form is checked against Zoom attendance records, so submitting it without attending does not count.
• Monitor the student platform for attendance status and warnings. The dashboard uses color indicators, and accumulating absences can make certification difficult.
• If unable to attend, notify the instructor or assigned monitor and provide an explanation or supporting documentation when applicable. Unjustified absences count against the attendance requirement.
• Respond to attendance alerts and seek help early rather than waiting until several sessions have been missed.

The induction itself was informational and did not count toward course attendance.

Student Platform and Support

Students can access a platform using their identity document. It provides:

• Group, course, and schedule information
• Links to Platzi learning paths and Zoom sessions
• An events calendar and attendance records
• Announcements, employability tips, and event information
• Forms for requests, updates, and support

The program’s form is the designated channel for requests such as correcting contact details, reporting platform or connectivity difficulties, or raising other issues. Staff said there was no WhatsApp or telephone support line available at the time. Students were encouraged to check their registered email regularly.

Academic support begins with the course instructor. Monitors assist with attendance tracking and technical issues, and the program also planned academic tutoring and psychosocial support options. The team may contact students after attendance alerts to understand any difficulties and help them continue.

Employability and Psychosocial Support

The cross-cutting Layer 4 component includes virtual and in-person employability activities, such as storytelling, résumé preparation and improvement, profile-building, and guidance on job-search platforms. A Talenthub event was also announced as an opportunity to connect students with companies, academia, and other industry participants.

These services are intended to strengthen job-search and career skills; the program does not guarantee a job or a particular employment outcome.

Psychosocial support is available to students in both Layer 1 and Layer 2. It is intended to be preventive, student-centered, and responsive to individual circumstances. Support includes:

• Individual support: Short, voluntary conversations to identify obstacles and possible ways to address them. The presenter clarified that this is not therapy or a diagnostic service.
• Group workshops: Tools for emotional skills, stress and frustration management, and time planning.
• Motivational communications: Messages and tips to support persistence.
• Attendance monitoring and outreach: Contact to understand absences and help prevent students from dropping out.
• Help desks and improvement plans: Additional routes for academic, psychosocial, or technical support.

Students were encouraged to raise concerns early. The team emphasized that learners are people with individual circumstances, not merely attendance records, and that support is available before a problem becomes severe.

Key Participant Guidance

• Treat the free course as a significant opportunity and apply the learning in daily life from the start.
• Keep up with both the Platzi learning path and live sessions.
• Reserve time and a suitable place for independent study.
• Bring questions and challenges from the online material to instructor sessions.
• Participate actively, communicate difficulties early, and use the request form or support staff when needed.
• Check email for schedules, platform access, recordings, and further instructions.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Sara Hernández — Director of Nodo, EAFIT University’s Technology Training Center; delivered the welcome.
• María Fernanda Galeano — Secretary of Economic Development for the Medellín Mayor’s Office; appeared in a recorded welcome message.
• Daniela Váez Morales — General coordinator of the Estud-IA project; explained the program structure and logistics.
• Cindy Saavedra — Member of the project’s academic team; explained Layer 1 expectations and academic support.
• Dani Rivera — Project data analyst; demonstrated the student platform and attendance tracking.
• Luisa Fernanda Hernández — Member of the Gilberto Echeverri Mejía Corporation’s psychosocial team; described student support services.

Organizations and platforms mentioned: Medellín Mayor’s Office and Secretariat of Economic Development; EAFIT University’s Nodo; Gilberto Echeverri Mejía Corporation; Platzi; Zoom; and Magneto.