Chile is developing highly-qualified human capital in areas such as cybersecurity, data science and artificial intelligence. With public programs and global alliances, the country is consolidating its position as a tech hub and strategic destination for foreign investment.
When a foreign company decides where to invest in Latin America, factors such as political stability, strategic location and cost competitiveness are important. However, for companies in the tech sector, there is one element that weighs even more heavily: human talent.
Access to qualified professionals with advanced digital skills is today the true driving force behind international expansion.
The rapid growth of the digital economy and the software industry has profoundly transformed the labor market.
As some traditional skills become obsolete, new demands arise in areas such as cybersecurity, data science and artificial intelligence.
Given this scenario, the key question is: how is Chile preparing for the future of work and human capital development?
The Chilean State has defined the development of advanced human capital as a strategic priority.
The goal is clear: to prepare people for quality jobs, promote job retraining and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in the global digital economy. To this end, specific initiatives have been launched to make a difference:
The public-private program, Talento Digital para Chile (Digital Talent for Chile), led by the Treasury Ministry, has trained 35,000 people in just five years through intensive bootcamp-style courses.
With a new goal of reaching 50,000 graduates, the program targets highly sought-after profiles such as full-stack developers, cybersecurity specialists and data scientists.
The National Training and Employment Service, SENCE, part of the Labor Ministry, has migrated from basic office automation training to courses in artificial intelligence, data analysis and cybersecurity.
Its free courses, available throughout Chile, have partnerships with global leaders such as Microsoft and Telefónica, ensuring the relevance of their content.
The Chilean Economic Development Agency, CORFO, has awarded more than 3,000 digital skills scholarships since 2018, training specialists in high-demand profiles such as cloud architecture, DevOps, data analysis and data science.
Its Competitiveness Training Program seeks to reduce the gaps between industry and the workforce.
The results can already be seen. According to CBRE’s Scoring Tech Talent 2024 report, Santiago is the city with the third highest amount of tech talent in Latin America, behind only Mexico City and São Paulo, with more than 135,000 professionals.
This positions Chile as an attractive hub for global companies seeking to expand their technology service centers and digital operations in the region.
One of Chile’s distinguishing factors is the level of coordination between public entities such as CORFO, SENCE and Talento Digital with InvestChile, the country’s foreign investment promotion agency.
This collaboration ensures that training programs are aligned with the real needs of international companies operating in Chile.
Thanks to this collaboration, graduates of these programs enjoy a high level of job placement, landing jobs in one of the 25 multinational companies that export technology from Chile to the world.
Chile is not only attracting foreign investment in technology, but is also actively building world-class human capital.
The country is preparing for the digital age with consistent public policies, strategic alliances and a clear vision: to become a regional hub for innovation, talent and tech services in Latin America.
Do you want to learn more about the opportunities Chile offers in global services and digital talent? Contact us to find out how to set up and expand your tech business in Chile.