Practices for life

• The Ministry of Labor is launching the 'Practices for Life' fund, which will benefit approximately 450 students who will complete their work placements in certified education secretariats in the country during the first semester of this year.
• The Fund, financed by the Ministry of Labor and administered by ICETEX, will allocate a monthly legal minimum wage plus a transportation subsidy to each student for a period of up to five months of internships.
• From January 13 to 22, registration periods are open for certified Education Secretariats to apply for positions where beneficiaries can work, and for public and private Higher Education Institutions to apply for undergraduate students to complete their internships.

Bogotá, DC, January 13, 2026. Nearly 450 young people completing their work placements in the country's certified Education Secretariats will receive support from the Government of Change, through the Ministry of Labor and ICETEX, with the opening of the 'Practices for Life' call, which begins today, to provide a work placement stipend for students' first work experience.

The program seeks to encourage decent first jobs through a monthly payment of $2,000,000 to each student who carries out their work placements in Education Secretariats and certified Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), for a period of up to five months while they carry out their placements.

The Minister of Labor, Antonio Sanguino, emphasized that the initiative aims to close learning gaps: “We want the practical application of knowledge to be recognized and valued with real economic guarantees. It is a strategy to ensure that our young people experience dignified work environments.”.

For his part, the president of ICETEX, Álvaro Urquijo, stated that this newly established Fund “opens new possibilities for Colombians beginning their work experience through internships, providing them with support and incentives to cover living expenses during a crucial stage in their lives. These young people will have access to opportunities that we are promoting through inter-institutional collaboration, which will be fundamental in building their first work experience.”.

Registrations for Education Secretariats and Higher Education Institutions

• From January 13 to 22, the Fund has opened the registration stage simultaneously: one for certified Education Secretariats and another for public and private Higher Education Institutions.
• The Education Secretariats must be certified and, during the registration stage, apply for internship positions for the beneficiaries of the Fund in this first semester.
• Higher Education Institutions, for their part, must nominate students enrolled in undergraduate programs (technical, technological or university) who are about to undertake work placements and are included in the list of academic programs prioritized by the Ministry of Labor.
• Registrations for both Education Secretariats and Higher Education Institutions must be made through the websites of the calls for applications:
• Call for certified Education Secretariats: https://web.icetex.gov.co/web/portal/-/fondo-programa-de-practicas-laborales-ministerio-del-trabajo-se
• Call for applications from certified Higher Education Institutions: https://web.icetex.gov.co/-/fondo-programa-de-practicas-laborales-del-ministerio-del-trabajo-ies

Following the calls for applications from the Ministries of Education and Higher Education Institutions, from February 5th to 11th, the specific registration period continues for students nominated by their Higher Education Institutions. These students must apply through the Fund's microsite and meet all the requirements stipulated in the call for applications to participate in the selection process. They must upload their documents between February 6th and 13th. The results of the call for applications will be published on the aforementioned microsite on February 25th, allowing them to accept their work placement and begin this experience with the Fund's financial support.

All information regarding these calls for applications, including requirements and registration for Education Secretariats, Higher Education institutions, and students, as well as the established criteria and specifications, should be consulted on the aforementioned microsites of the calls for applications of the Labor Practices Program Fund, available on the ICETEX website.

Source: Ministry of Labor – ICETEX

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