Technical Education for the Reintegration of Ex-Combatants: One Pathway, Different Trajectories

Reintegration programs promote technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for ex-combatants, with the aim of preparing them to participate in the labor market and assume new social roles. This in-depth interview study with ex-combatants from Colombia participating in technical programs explores the motivations they have for enrolling in technical education, critical information to identify ways in which programs could better respond to participants’ aspirations. Findings illustrated that through education, ex-combatants seek to be respected and recognized, set an example for their children, experience a moral transformation, and develop autonomy. These findings suggest that TVET’s assumptions that ex-combatants are only motivated by material factors such as money and employment are too reductionist.