CLOSED – FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR COLOMBIA

Description :

Specialisterne (http://es.specialisterne.com/en/) is a social initiative that was born in 2004 in Denmark with the aim of providing training and employment for adults with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). It has carried out or currently have a permanent presence in 32 cities in 15 countries.

Below a sustainable business model, Specialisterne provides assessment and training both technical and social to people with ASD and later provides them meaningful jobs within the IT sector. The inclusion in the labor market is done in two ways: ASD people are employed directly by Specialisterne and work as consultants for customers, or Specialisterne signs agreements with companies that hire by themselves those consultants. Specialisterne always provides mentoring for the consultants to assure their adaptation to the job position and helps the customers in the onboarding phase.

The current project is based on the intense expansion plans of Specialisterne. Expansion process in Latin-American and Mediterranean countries is lead from Spain.

The purpose of the project is to carry out a feasibility study for our implementation in the Colombian market, and specifically in Bogota. We already have a pilot training course to do there for one of our global customers, and we have seen that there could be a great opportunity to set up a permanent office there. But, obviously, we need to collect and analyze much more information before taking a final decision.

We are aiming for recommendations on the best ways to enter in this country, or even recommendation or not doing so. Lots of variables, stakeholders and scenarios must be considered, and Specialisterne will provide many references and background and a contact person to coordinate and help with any issue that arises while doing the project. We can also provide own methodology to develop the project or at least as a tool to guide it.

The study covers these topics: IT sector, people with ASD, country’s global situation, laws related to people with disabilities, potential subsidies for training and on-the-job support, and the maturity of social companies/impact funds/philanthropists.