The polytechnic schools in Cuba began to incorporate this semester a new subject aimed at teaching third-year students tools for entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business management, following a pilot experience developed during the previous school year.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced that the subject will start being taught in polytechnic schools across the country beginning in the 2026 school year.
The subject is titled “Introduction to Innovative and Creative Entrepreneurship for Local Development with Entrepreneurial Technical Professionals” and will complement the technical training that students receive in their respective specialties.
The objective, according to the program, is to train mid-level technicians capable of seeking solutions to problems in their communities, developing their own initiatives, and acquiring useful knowledge to integrate into the labor market or start a business.
The decision comes after a trial conducted during the past school year in 25 polytechnic centers, with the participation of more than 4,600 students.
Young people from seven provinces received training on skills related to the business world, entrepreneurship, and access to jobs.
Among them was José Ernesto Solano, a student from the polytechnic school Antonio Robert Ducas in Santiago de Cuba, who wishes to dedicate himself to barbering.
"Since I was little, I wanted to be a barber. There was someone in my house who taught me the basics. Later, at my school, they offered a course that allowed me to learn other skills necessary to effectively manage my business," he told the UNDP.
Private businesses from the regions also participated. In Santiago de Cuba, for instance, the Zuturo project engaged with students about the needs and skills that the private sector labor market requires.
Another student, Samanta Osorio, a Hospitality Management student at the Pepito Tey Polytechnic School, highlighted the practical component of her training: "I have learned to be creative, to find solutions with the little I have, from my locality."
The initiative is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE) and is accompanied by UNDP, in coordination with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the National Institute of Economic Research, and local governments.
The experience also encompasses the work carried out by PROFET, a project initiated in 2019 to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and enhance young people's access to employment opportunities.
PROFET reached 53 polytechnic centers in 36 municipalities and the 15 Cuban provinces, with activities related to specialties such as agriculture, construction, services, transportation, mechanics, and communications.
The program also aimed to strengthen the ties between educational institutions and local labor entities in each region.
Polytechnic and vocational schools generally welcome young people starting at the ages of 15 and 16, training workers in 103 specialties, including construction, computer science, and beauty services.
The introduction of content directly related to the creation and management of businesses comes at a time when the Cuban government continues to implement changes within the framework of the private sector.
The importance of this new subject becomes even more significant in light of the measures that the Cuban regime has adopted in recent years to expand and reorganize the role of the private sector in the economy.
This very week, for example, Cuba officially incorporated private companies with over 100 workers into its legislation, effectively eliminating the former limit that separated small and medium-sized enterprises from larger private businesses.
The new legislation also allows these companies to define their structure and workforce, make investments, and, with prior authorization, directly import and export, while the state maintains various mechanisms of supervision and control over their operations.
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