In Chile, education is strongly affected by segregation; getting into and staying in higher education continues to be determined by the student's socioeconomic background. According to the OECD (2019), students from underprivileged backgrounds have less access to structured academic support and face greater challenges in their educational journeys. Furthermore, many leave high school without the necessary academic skills: according to the Departamento de Evaluación, Medición y Registro Educacional (DEMRE 2023), over 60% fail to reach adequate levels in reading proficiency and over 80% perform inadequately in maths.
These disparities result in high rates of early dropout, particularly during the first year of higher education, where around 30% of students abandon their studies (SIES).
This issue is particularly relevant given that educational attainment has a direct impact on future opportunities. In Chile, those with higher education earn on average 161% more than those who only complete high school (OECD, 2023), which reinforces the importance of providing timely support for the transition to higher education.
In response to this challenge, we have created a proposal that addresses the educational transition from a comprehensive approach, combining the development of academic, socio-emotional and vocational skills, intending to enhance access, strengthen permanence and expand opportunities for future career development.
This programme is delivered through a comprehensive training approach that combines: academic, socio-emotional and vocational components. Put into practice, the students participate every Saturday in a session that includes classes focused on reading skills, maths skills, personal development and vocational exploration, as well as personalised counselling to support their decision-making. The program is structured around the systematic monitoring of attendance and performance, allowing for timely adjustments during implementation.
This solution tackles the problem by directly addressing the main challenges faced by the students: it strengthens academic skills for the Higher Education Entrance Exam (PAES), develops socio-emotional skills to sustain educational progress, and offers practical guidance for an informed career choice, thereby reducing the risk of early dropout.
The programme has a proven success rate: 84% of students go on to higher education, and 95% remain in higher education, alongside an average increase of 200 points in their academic assessments and a 95% satisfaction rate among the participating students. Furthermore, it has been externally evaluated through a semi-experimental impact assessment, which has demonstrated a significant improvement in access to higher education.
Finally, the programme provides teaching materials, including books for academic and socio-emotional work, along with a snack for students during classes.
The initiative has been spread mainly through partnerships with educational institutions, with whom we work directly on implementing the programme, as well as through collaboration with local businesses and stakeholders who facilitate its funding and expansion. We promote the programme within the schools themselves, through informative talks and in coordination with the teaching staff.
Over the last 1 to 2 years, the programme has managed to scale up its scope, reaching more than 1,500 students, with consistent results in terms of access to and educational attainment: 84% of students go on to higher education, 96% say they are satisfied with their degree course and institution, and 95% would recommend the programme. Furthermore, we have observed an average increase of 200 points between the initial assessment and the PAES.
Our goal for the next two to three years is to strengthen the intervention approach and to continue to expand its reach into other areas, strengthening partnerships with educational institutions and public and private stakeholders, in order to help more students who need this mentoring.
In order to implement this programme in other contexts, the first step is to establish a partnership with local stakeholders who can provide the necessary support for the initiative, such as educational institutions, local authorities or businesses interested in supporting students’ educational journeys.
Based on this collaboration, we define the territory where the initiative will be implemented, and we identify schools with high levels of educational vulnerability.
Subsequently, the model is adapted to the local conditions, whilst retaining its core components: academic training, socio-emotional development and vocational support. This includes planning the implementation, selecting and training the implementation team, and adapting materials and methodologies to the context.
Its implementation requires ensuring basic operational conditions, such as access to educational spaces, a sufficient number of teachers and other specialised professionals, and a monitoring system to track results. It is also essential to establish mechanisms for engaging and securing the commitment of students and their families.
Organisations interested in implementing the programme can contact the Formando Chile team directly, who will guide the design, adaptation and implementation process, while ensuring the quality and integrity of the program.
