Moving Forward: Inclusion and Education in Zonamerica

The Avanzando program was created to support employees of Zonamerica and Costa Oriental as they complete their Basic Education Cycle, providing them with tools and personalized support to take the UTU-administered competency-based assessment equivalent to the Basic Education Cycle.

Inspired by the Sembrando program, launched by Montes del Plata, this initiative drew on the valuable experience and lessons shared by its team, enabling the development of a model tailored to the campus’s needs.

Over the course of five months, 40 employees from Zonamerica and Costa Oriental took part in this learning and development process. Among them were individuals who had started middle school but were unable to complete it, others who had finished elementary school, and even one participant who had not completed elementary school; arrangements were made for this individual to take a special accreditation test administered by ANEP so that they could join the program.

The support program, designed by a team of occupational educational psychologists, focused on strengthening three key skills: problem-solving, reading, and writing. Each week, participants received online activities and study materials tailored specifically for them, which they could complete on a computer or smartphone.

In addition, each participant was supported by an internal mentor, with whom they determined their preferred method of communication: weekly meetings, video calls, or ad-hoc consultations. Every three weeks, the educational psychologists sent progress reports containing personalized observations and recommendations, which allowed for close monitoring of each participant’s progress.

Zonamerica and Costa Oriental funded the fees for the educational psychology team and the workshops. Thanks to support from INEFOP, a special testing center was set up on campus, where UTU faculty members went to take their exams.

The outcome was a complete success: the participants successfully completed their Basic Cycle, marking the culmination of a process that reflects commitment, hard work, and personal growth.

With this first edition, Avanzando has established itself as an initiative that promotes educational inclusion and personal development, and it will continue to take place every year, inviting more companies on campus to join this transformative experience.