Chile's AIEP drives adult workers back to university

AIEP is encouraging Chilean adults who are already employed to resume formal studies. According to institute data, 51.3% of the 2025 graduates were working when they entered their programs, and employment among students rose by an average of 4.8% between admission and graduation. Only 22.1% of those graduates had no prior work experience, showing that the trend is largely about workers upgrading skills while staying in the labour market.

The institute highlights individual stories such as Marcela Vaccaro, national director of Community Liaison and Communications at AIEP, who returned to university to earn a commercial engineering degree at Universidad Andrés Bello to better engage with corporate boards. Magdalena Silva, a commercial engineer and vice‑rector of Student Support at AIEP, stresses that continual learning has become essential for employability, and that flexible study options help workers balance job, family and education responsibilities.