Desigualdad y trayectorias educativas no lineales en jóvenes técnicos articulados al SENA

This article examines the educational and labor trajectories of young graduates from Colombia’s National Learning Service (SENA) articulation program, adopting a biographical approach to reveal the structural effects of social inequality. Using in-depth interviews and grounded theory coding, the study reconstructs life stories that reflect non-linear paths marked by interrupted education, precarious employment, and persistent tensions between personal aspirations and institutional and family constraints. The findings indicate that socioeconomic status, inherited cultural capital, geographic location, the pressure of the ICFES exam, and the operational logic of SENA significantly influence access to higher education and dignified employment. While the articulation program offers a relevant training option, it often acts more as a structural boundary than as a bridge to equity. This research contributes to a critical understanding of the institutional mechanisms shaping youth transitions in unequal contexts and calls for rethinking technical education policies to support more stable, flexible, and just pathways for young people across Latin America