BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA — In an era where technological literacy is no longer a luxury but a fundamental necessity for economic mobility, acquiring digital skills has become a top priority for professionals across Latin America. Addressing this growing demand head-on, the prominent technology academy Henry has officially announced a major national initiative: a specialized, tuition-free training program designed to teach participants how to build functional digital applications using the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
With a capacity capped at 10,000 participants in Colombia, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between traditional professional backgrounds and the fast-paced tech sector. Crucially, the program is tailored to individuals with zero prior coding experience, opening doors for recent college graduates, seasoned professionals from non-technical disciplines, and anyone eager to understand how modern generative AI tools can bring software concepts to life.
Main Facts: What You Need to Know About the Initiative
The newly unveiled training program is structured as an intensive, hands-on introduction to modern product development. Rather than focusing on complex syntax or traditional software engineering languages like Python or JavaScript, the curriculum emphasizes conceptualization, product management, and human-AI collaboration.
Key Program Highlights:
- The Organizer: Developed and hosted by Henry, a leading tech academy renowned for its immersive programs in software development and data science.
- Capacity: Limited to 10,000 spots nationwide in Colombia, ensuring widespread access while maintaining a structured learning environment.
- Format & Schedule: Two virtual classes, each lasting 45 minutes, held on Tuesday, November 10, and Wednesday, November 11.
- Time: Both sessions will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. (Colombia time).
- Cost: 100% free of charge.
- Prerequisites: Participants only need a reliable computer, an internet connection, and curiosity. No background in programming or software development is required.
- Target Audience: Recent university graduates, professionals from diverse career tracks looking to upskill, and entrepreneurs seeking to prototype business ideas.
According to the academic leadership at Henry, the ultimate goal is not to turn every attendee into a senior developer overnight, but rather to demystify how digital products are conceptualized and to demonstrate how everyday users can harness AI agents as co-creators.
Chronology: Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Curriculum
To maximize the impact of the two short sessions, the curriculum has been carefully divided into distinct foundational phases: ideation and execution.
Day 1: Tuesday, November 10 — Defining the Problem and Structuring the App
The first 45-minute session lays the groundwork for any successful digital product. Participants will move away from abstract thoughts and learn how to structure a concrete technological solution.
- Problem Identification: Attendees will learn how to pinpoint a specific everyday problem that a digital tool can solve—such as organizing household expenses, keeping track of professional to-do lists, or managing workflow requests for a team.
- User Persona Mapping: The session covers how to identify target users and understand their core needs.
- Feature Prioritization: Students will map out the essential functionalities their application requires.
- Deliverable: By the end of day one, every participant will walk away with a structured project description document outlining the blueprint for their application.
Day 2: Wednesday, November 11 — Prototyping with Artificial Intelligence
The second session shifts from theory to practical execution. Guided by Verónica Vargas, Product Lead at Laburen, participants will dive into the world of AI-assisted prototyping.
- Prompt Engineering for Builders: Attendees will learn how to give precise instructions to AI agents, effectively acting as product managers directing a digital workforce.
- Data Organization: The session will demonstrate how to structure information so that the AI can interpret it accurately and generate the desired output.
- Testing and Iteration: Before finalizing their prototype, students will review the app’s performance, troubleshoot minor bugs, and learn how to refine the AI’s output through iterative prompting.
Supporting Data: The Digital Skills Gap in Latin America
The launch of Henry’s initiative comes at a critical juncture for the Latin American labor market. As automation and artificial intelligence rapidly reshape industries, governments and educational institutions are racing to prepare the workforce for the future of work.
- The Demand for Tech Talent: According to various regional tech employment studies, the deficit of qualified technology professionals in Latin America continues to run in the hundreds of thousands. While traditional bootcamps require months of full-time commitment, introductory micro-learning experiences are proving vital in sparking early interest in tech careers.
- Democratizing AI Access: Generative AI tools have lowered the barrier to entry for software creation. Where building a basic application once required months of learning syntax, modern AI agents can translate natural language descriptions into working code or functional user interfaces in a matter of minutes.
- Cross-Disciplinary Upskilling: Statistics from online learning platforms show a massive surge in non-technical professionals—ranging from marketers and accountants to psychologists and journalists—seeking out AI literacy courses to stay competitive in their respective fields.
Official Responses and Expert Insights
The leadership team behind Henry emphasizes that while AI is an extraordinarily powerful tool, it does not replace human ingenuity, strategic thinking, or creative problem-solving.
"The IA executes; the person decides what to build, reviews, and corrects," explained Federico Hernández, co-founder of Henry, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between human oversight and artificial intelligence.
Hernández and his team believe that the future belongs to professionals who understand how to leverage AI to amplify their productivity. By equipping 10,000 Colombians with these fundamental product-building concepts, Henry hopes to plant the seeds for future tech entrepreneurs, innovative intrapreneurs, and digitally confident workers.
Verónica Vargas, Laburen’s Product Lead and guest instructor for the second session, echoed these sentiments, noting that the ability to articulate a clear problem and direct an AI tool to solve it is fast becoming one of the most valuable vocational skills of the 21st century.
Implications: What This Means for Colombian Professionals
The implications of this initiative extend far beyond a simple 90-minute workshop. For many attendees, these two sessions could serve as the catalyst for a major career pivot or the birth of a new business venture.
1. Lowering Psychological Barriers to Tech
Many professionals feel intimidated by the tech sector, assuming that coding requires an advanced degree in computer science or mathematics. By proving that anyone can build a rudimentary application using plain language and AI, programs like this dismantle the fear of technology.
2. Boosting Workplace Efficiency
Even for those who do not wish to become full-time software developers, the skills taught in this course—such as structured problem-solving, product scoping, and advanced prompt engineering—can be immediately applied to traditional corporate roles, marketing campaigns, administrative workflows, and freelance projects.
3. Fostering a Culture of Innovation
When 10,000 individuals across Colombia gain exposure to product development and AI prototyping, the collective innovative capacity of the nation’s workforce rises. Participants leave with the realization that they are no longer just passive consumers of software, but potential creators who can build tools tailored to their unique personal or professional needs.
How to Register and Participate
With only 10,000 spots available, demand is expected to peak rapidly leading up to the application deadline.
- Deadline to Register: Registration remains open until Tuesday, November 10, coinciding with the day of the first live session. However, interested candidates are strongly encouraged to sign up early to guarantee their place.
- How to Sign Up: Registrations can be completed free of charge directly through the official enrollment portal provided by Henry on their academic channels.
- Next Steps Post-Registration: Once successfully registered, participants should monitor their email inboxes closely for confirmation messages containing the private links and instructions required to access the virtual classroom.
As technology continues to redefine the boundaries of what is possible in the professional world, initiatives like Henry’s free AI training represent an essential stepping stone toward a more inclusive, digitally empowered future for Colombia.
