How Laboratoria Is Opening Tech Careers to Women Across Latin America
- yanabijoor
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
The problem
Technology jobs are growing rapidly across Latin America, but opportunities to access these jobs are not. Women from disadvantaged socio-economic groups are still not entering tech jobs, not because of a lack of potential, but simply because of a system that favors those with credentials and access. The typical solution for workforce initiatives is to provide more training. This has not proven effective. Skills training is not enough without employer buy-in and a direct pathway to actual jobs. For many women, formal education simply ends, and employment opportunities begin.
The solution
Laboratoria is a workforce initiative founded in Lima, Peru, in 2014. It has taken a different approach to workforce development. It has designed a workforce model not on the traditional notion of education as a means of providing credentials, but on outcomes such as skills application, employer confidence, and actual entry into tech jobs. Success is not defined by how many students are enrolled or how large the organization has grown, but by how many students are hired and retained into tech jobs.
Laboratoria offers an immersive, full-time, six-month training experience for women from disadvantaged backgrounds, steering them towards careers in software development, UX design, data analysis, and digital product teams. The training program emphasizes skills, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving. Right from the beginning, companies are brought in and engaged directly to help set the bar and reduce hiring risk. The approach encompasses placement services with a clear goal: sustained entry into the formal tech industry, not rapid certifications or shallow resume enhancements.
Why is this innovative?
What is particularly notable about Laboratoria is the nature of the incentives it creates. While most education providers are rewarded regardless of labor market outcomes, Laboratoria's primary measure of success is students' ability to find jobs and increase their earnings. What is more significant is that the organization avoided the venture growth model, which often relies on tuition and significant income sharing. The organization opted to use patient capital, focusing more on trust, quality, and long-run career outcomes.
Business Model
Laboratoria is a social enterprise with a mixed funding model. While there is no upfront tuition, participants agree to an Income Share Agreement (ISA), where they repay approximately half of the program cost after securing employment. This ensures there is no financial barrier to entry while aligning Laboratoria's incentives with successful job placement.
The source of funds to run the business is through three channels: partnerships with employers, in which employers pay to hire trained graduates. Philanthropy, where the funds are provided to support the program. Targeted pilots, where the business is conducted while keeping the mission in focus. This model provides protection against the hiring market while keeping the focus on the mission.
Funding
The organization has raised between $4 and $ 5 million in known funding. The majority of this has come from philanthropic donors. However, a key milestone was when Laboratoria received $4 million in unrestricted funds from MacKenzie Scott. This was a rare opportunity that gave Laboratoria greater operational flexibility. With no strings attached from their venture capitalists, Laboratoria did not seek rapid growth that was “flashy.” Instead, they focused on strengthening relationships with employers, their curriculum, and learner support – all areas that have allowed Laboratoria to survive over many years in Latin America.
What is the impact?
Laboratoria has already equipped and placed thousands of women in Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Brazil, as well as Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay. To date, over 4,000 women have been trained through the program, with an impressive 77.5% job placement rate in the tech sector. Their graduates report significant increases in earnings, with many able to earn $800 to $1,000 per month, representing three to five times their previous earnings, as well as steady entry into formal tech roles. At a broader level, the work has shifted how employers think about talent, providing evidence that “top technical talent can be developed outside of elite institutions” and that women from non-traditional backgrounds can succeed in demanding roles.
What still needs to improve?
The reliance on philanthropic funding also raises concerns about sustainability. Expanding into new markets requires cultivating relationships with employers in a trusting manner. And, as with any outcome-based workforce solution, there is the challenge of aligning with existing hiring needs while keeping the skills taught relevant amid technological advancement.
Laboratoria proves that one does not have to rely on exploitative funding models or aim for massive scale to provide high-skill opportunities. The only question is whether or not this model can achieve scale without sacrificing the very qualities that make it successful.
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