María Alejandra Barrios S.

Tegucigalpa, 28 de octubre de 2026.- Vender mejor y enseñar mejor: dos metas distintas que pueden apoyarse en las mismas herramientas digitales. Con ese enfoque, The Trust for the Americas llevó a cabo varias jornadas de formación sobre habilidades digitales, emprendimiento, inteligencia artificial (IA) e innovación tecnológica. La iniciativa se realizó en colaboración con Fundación Terra, socio local de DigiSpark Triángulo Norte, y con el apoyo financiero de Microsoft.   Las jornadas reunieron a emprendedores con negocios en marcha en gastronomía, repostería, accesorios y marketing, y a docentes de tecnología, informática y otras áreas, personal administrativo del Instituto San Juan Bosco y facilitadores de Fundación Terra. Cada grupo llegó con metas distintas, por eso las sesiones se adaptaron a cada uno y combinaron teoría con ejercicios prácticos.  Herramientas digitales para hacer crecer los negocios  Todo negocio sólido empieza por saber a quién le vende. Por eso, los emprendedores trabajaron con el modelo de negocio Canvas para ordenar y consolidar sus negocios, y exploraron estrategias de marketing digital para promocionar sus productos y servicios. Además, aprendieron a usar la inteligencia artificial para diseñar y crear contenido para sus marcas. La meta: negocios con una propuesta más clara, más presencia en línea y más capacidad para competir.  Programación, IoT e IA para docentes  Docentes y facilitadores, por su parte, se adentraron en la electrónica, la programación, el desarrollo de aplicaciones y el Internet de las Cosas (IoT, por sus siglas en inglés). También exploraron cómo la inteligencia artificial puede apoyarlos en su día a día, con recursos para preparar clases, crear contenidos y diseñar actividades educativas. Así, parte del tiempo que hoy se va en tareas repetitivas puede dedicarse a los estudiantes.  El alcance real de estas jornadas se medirá por lo que pase después. Los docentes asumen ahora el reto de multiplicar estos contenidos en sus aulas, porque cuando el conocimiento se transmite, una capacitación deja de beneficiar solo a quienes asistieron y empieza a llegar a toda una comunidad.  A través de DigiSpark Triángulo Norte, The Trust for the Americas y Fundación Terra siguen impulsando las habilidades digitales en Honduras, con la convicción de convertir habilidades en oportunidades y alianzas en impacto.  ***  Sobre The Trust for the Americas:  The Trust for the Americas es una organización sin fines de lucro que promueve la inclusión social y económica, brindando a las personas habilidades clave para prosperar en el nuevo mundo laboral. Como afiliada de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), The Trust establece alianzas estratégicas con los sectores público, privado, académico y de la sociedad civil para ampliar oportunidades en toda la región. Con casi 30 años de experiencia, ha impactado a más de 6.5 millones de personas en 30 países, impulsando el desarrollo de oportunidades económicas y fomentando la innovación como motor de progreso en las Américas. 

El Paso, Texas, September 18, 2026 — A specialized workforce training project in El Paso has certified 40 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems operators and placed 93% of them in formal employment across the region’s water, energy and manufacturing sectors. The Trust for the Americas, an organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS), celebrated the closing of the Skills for Sustainability (S4S) project together with its funding partners, the North American Development Bank (NADBank) and Workforce Solutions Borderplex, as well as its local implementing partner, Western Technical College.  The graduation ceremony took place on Friday, September 11 at Western Technical College in El Paso, where program graduates received their certificates. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar joined the ceremony and offered words of congratulations to the graduates, alongside representatives of NADBank, Workforce Solutions Borderplex, Western Technical College and The Trust for the Americas.  Graduates were hired at El Paso Water, the City of El Paso, Eaton, Kinder Morgan, PC Automated, Wiwynn, OPEX, Siemens, Fort Bliss and STACK Infrastructure, reflecting the demand for specialized SCADA systems talent.  “The Trust designed this program around what employers told us they needed and then brought together the partners to deliver it. We first trained water operators for El Paso Water between 2023 and 2024, and when those positions were filled, they came back to us for SCADA technicians. That is a model worth taking to other border communities,” said Jorge Márquez Gaspar, Project Manager at The Trust for the Americas.  “Meeting El Paso’s workforce needs requires strong partnerships between education, workforce organizations, employers, and community leaders. The S4S SCADA program demonstrates what can be accomplished when partners combine their resources and expertise toward a shared goal. Together, we are preparing local talent for in-demand careers and helping ensure our region has the skilled professionals needed to support its continued growth.” said John Nuñez, Customized Training Director at Western Tech.  Based on the project’s economic-impact analysis, the $120,000 investment in training is projected to generate approximately $2.66 million in economic value, equivalent to about $22 for every dollar invested. Graduates who found work earn an average of $23 an hour, or about $47,840 a year.  Leila Melendez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Borderplex, stated: “Workforce Solutions exists to build a stronger regional economy, and that means investing in the sectors that power it: water, energy, manufacturing. The S4S SCADA program shows exactly how strategic workforce development works: identify the gap, build the pipeline, and get people into good jobs. We’re proud to have played a role in that for 40 new technicians and their families.”  Beyond creating job opportunities, SCADA training strengthens the technical capabilities needed to operate systems tied to water, energy, and other essential services. This contributes to more efficient management of processes and critical infrastructure, which is particularly relevant for a border region facing the challenges of population growth, industrial expansion, and climate change.  The project was made possible through a multisector partnership led by The Trust for the Americas; NADBank provided the funding; Western Technical College developed and delivered the training; and Workforce Solutions Borderplex provided matching funds and supported job placement and graduate follow-up.  “At NADBank, we believe strong communities grow when people have the opportunity to build meaningful careers while serving their neighbors. We are proud of these graduates and grateful to every partner who helped them develop the skills to support reliable water service and a brighter future for communities across the border region.” said John Beckham, NADBank Managing Director.  The model developed by The Trust’s S4S demonstrates the potential of connecting technical training with real labor market needs, generating employment opportunities and strengthening strategic sectors in the El Paso, Texas–Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua region.  About Skills for Sustainability (S4S):  Skills for Sustainability (S4S) is a technical training program designed by The Trust for the Americas to build specialized talent for strategic sectors such as water, energy, manufacturing and critical infrastructure, while promoting job opportunities, economic development and sustainability.  About The Trust for the Americas:  The Trust for the Americas is a nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic inclusion by equipping individuals with the skills needed to thrive in the evolving world of work. As an affiliate of the Organization of American States (OAS), The Trust builds strategic partnerships with the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil society to expand opportunities throughout the region. With nearly 30 years of experience, the organization has impacted more than 6.3 million people in 30 countries, fostering economic opportunity and promoting innovation as a driver of progress across the Americas. For more information visit: https://trust-oea.org/

This initiative is part of the Creating Youth Prosperity Initiative, which will benefit more than 700 young people in Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, and demonstrates how inter-American cooperation can translate into concrete opportunities for youth. Panama, June 25, 2026. During the week that Panama is hosting delegations from across the hemisphere for the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, Citi and The Trust for the Americas carried out volunteer activities in Panama and the Dominican Republic aimed at improving educational spaces and expanding opportunities for vulnerable youth. The initiative reflected the kind of partnerships promoted by the inter-American system, bringing together institutions, the private sector, local organizations, and educational communities to address shared challenges such as youth employability, digital inclusion, and preparation for the future of work. In Panama, the activity took place at the Dr. Octavio Méndez Pereira Educational Center, with the participation of volunteers from Citi, The Trust for the Americas, Fundación Emprendamos, teachers, students, and members of the educational community. Also in attendance was Ambassador Ana Irene Delgado, Panama’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, whose participation underscored the link between inter-American cooperation, the private sector, and the educational communities of the host country of the General Assembly. Malcolm Muñoz, Executive Director of Citi Panama, and Linda Eddleman, CEO of The Trust for the Americas—an OAS-affiliated organization—led the event. Together with the volunteers, they helped restore the school library by cleaning, painting the walls, and creating an educational mural inspired by innovation, perseverance, reading, and the students“ goals. The library is a place where young people study, read, talk, and imagine their future. The project aims to improve a central space for school life. Restoring it also sends a visible message to the educational community about the value of investing in the spaces where learning takes place. ”Today we saw what cooperation means when it comes to a school and turns into concrete work alongside the community,“ said Linda Eddleman, CEO of The Trust for the Americas. ”Every painted wall, every organized book, and every young person who enters this space reminds us that opportunities are not built from afar. They are built by listening to communities and working with them.“ Ambassador Delgado’s presence gave the event special significance during a week of great hemispheric importance for Panama. Her participation reinforced the message that the inter-American agenda is also expressed through local, visible, and concrete actions that open up opportunities for young people. Malcolm Muñoz, Executive Director of Citi Panama, noted that the event reflects Citi’s commitment to volunteerism and economic inclusion. ”Citi’s Global Community Day is an opportunity to serve, but also to listen,“ said Muñoz. ”When our volunteers work alongside teachers, young people, families, and local partners, we see firsthand the impact that a well-built partnership can have. This library stands as a symbol of what we want for Panama’s youth. More tools, more confidence, and more opportunities to get ahead.“ In the Dominican Republic, the event took place at the Ave María Polytechnic, where more than 100 volunteers from Citi and ITIERD—a local partner of The Trust for the Americas—participated. The teams worked alongside young people from the program to paint the school’s facade, create a school garden, and set up a recycling and art workshop. Rocío Velarde, Executive Director of Citi Dominican Republic, attended the event in Santo Domingo and highlighted the value of creating support networks for young people. ”This day is a powerful demonstration of Citi’s unwavering commitment to the development of the communities where we operate. Through collaboration and volunteerism, we are investing in the future of our youth, strengthening their skills, and building sustainable progress that benefits everyone,” she said. The Creating Youth Prosperity Initiative, supported by the Citi Foundation, addresses the need to prepare young people for a changing job market, where digital skills, financial literacy, adaptability, and exposure to the private sector are increasingly important. Both events took place as part of Citi Global Community Day, a global volunteer initiative by Citi that mobilizes employees in multiple countries to support their communities. In Panama and the Dominican Republic, the event brought together the private sector, civil society organizations, educational communities, and partners within the inter-American system around a common goal: to expand real opportunities for young people in the region. About The Trust for the Americas The Trust for the Americas is a nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic inclusion by equipping people with the key skills they need to thrive in the new world of work. As an affiliate of the Organization of American States (OAS), The Trust establishes strategic partnerships with the public, private, academic, and civil society sectors to expand opportunities throughout the region. With nearly 30 years of experience, it has impacted more than 6.3 million people in 29 countries, driving the development of economic opportunities and fostering innovation as a driver of progress in the Americas.