Vocational education and youth employment in Latin America: structural inequalities, gender, and intersectionality

In Latin America, technical and vocational education (TVE) is presented as a key alternative for promoting youth labor market integration, although social and gender gaps still limit its reach. This study aimed to analyze the contextual factors that influence the trajectories of TVE graduates toward employment, from a gender and intersectionality perspective. To this end, an integrative review of literature published between 2020 and 2025 was conducted, encompassing empirical and theoretical works linked to the family environment, social and institutional networks, professional internships, vocational guidance, and gender stereotypes. The results show that TVE can contribute to social mobility, but its effect is conditioned by structural inequalities. Family support and institutional networks function as supports, although in many cases they also reproduce pre-existing gaps. Furthermore, professional internships and vocational guidance are decisive, provided they are articulated with the labor market and designed with equity criteria. Stereotypes that restrict female participation in technical and STEM fields persist, generating horizontal and vertical segmentations in employment. It is concluded that ETP requires comprehensive policies that connect education, employment, and gender to ensure more inclusive and sustainable labor transitions.