CAF celebrates ITSE’s first class and 5th anniversary promoting higher education in Panama
November 09, 2022
The project “Institute of Quality Short Cycle Higher Education (ITSE),” through which CAF—development bank of Latin America—has promoted the training of human talent, aims also to improve competitiveness and resilience of the Central American nation, build capacities to meet the demand of the productive sector and develop the socioeconomic skills of students, in an effort to improve education of young people who are interested in pursuing technical courses.
With the aim of strengthening the education sector, and especially promoting excellence in higher education in Panama, Instituto Técnico Superior del Este (ITSE) held the graduation ceremony of its first class of 2022, where 67 students from the schools of Hospitality and Tourism, Business and Industrial Technology, received their diplomas accrediting them as professionals to join the labor market.
The ceremony was headed by ITSE Educational Manager Milena Gómez Cedeño, who explained that the growing integration of technologies in the different productive sectors requires the planning, design and implementation of educational ecosystems that facilitate the development of skills and competencies necessary to successfully face the challenges of a complex and dynamic global environment. The highest authority of the institute urged graduates to continue reaping success in the labor market, because they are the future of the country.
The first class of ITSE graduated on the 5th anniversary of the short-cycle higher education institution, which was created by Law 71 of November 8, 2017, and aims to boost the economic and social development of the country, through updated and relevant quality higher education, based on science, technology and innovation that trains the human capital required by society and productive sectors.
Kathleen Núñez, executive at CAF Office in Panama, highlighted the commitment of the multilateral agency to provide support from the first phase of this project, and now in the second phase of consolidation as an academic institute. “Today we see the results of the effort and dedication of each stakeholder in this institute, and as an agency we are pleased and proud to witness this first graduation ceremony.”
She also stressed that CAF works together with the national government to strengthen the articulation of the supply of vocational training and the specialized labor demand required by the Central American nation.