According
to the report The State of Technology for the Deskless Workforce, published by
consultancy Emergence, 80% of workers worldwide perform their jobs without a
desk or a computer. The report analyzes what technology tools these workers
have access to and how those tools impact their performance. It concludes that
most companies tend to provide computers, even when mobile devices would be far
more practical and accessible for this segment of the workforce.
This gap in
technological access is what Gonzalo Yrigoyen (Peru, 33) sees as a barrier to
equipping frontline workers, particularly in industries like retail and
manufacturing, with the skills they will need for the future. To bridge this
divide, he co-founded Excuela with José Luis Gamboa.
Excuela is
a mobile learning platform designed for non-desk workers and people in
situations of social vulnerability.
“Excuela’s
learning model is built on active learning methodologies, based on interaction
with different types of questions, scenario-based content that is tailored to
the user’s industry or context, and a cohort-based learning environment that
leverages the social dynamics in which our users live to drive engagement,”
explains Yrigoyen.
He quickly
realized that conventional training methods were not working for this audience.
As an example, he points to generic online courses, which he considers largely
ineffective for this segment.
“These
self-paced formats assume learners already have established habits or
discipline around learning, which unfortunately isn’t the case in most of Latin
America. For these workers, context is critical. Learning becomes effective
when users actively interact with the material instead of passively consuming
it, and when training includes supervision and industry-specific content,” he
explains.
He saw this
gap firsthand during his time working in large companies that conducted
compliance training by simply showing safety videos to groups of employees. “Afterward,
they’d sign a form confirming they were trained, and then go to the production
floor, where serious accidents would occur,” he recalls.
“There had
to be a more effective way to deliver relevant content to people who, due to
systemic educational gaps in Latin America, don’t have well-developed learning
habits or stable internet access,” says the Business Administration graduate
from the University of Lima (Peru). With that
in mind, the co-founders developed Excuela with a focus on usability and
accessibility. “On the
tech side, we intentionally avoided overly complex features. Our solution is
low-bandwidth and fully functional on less advanced smartphones,” Yrigoyen
adds.
So far,
35,000 users across Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Brazil, and the U.S. have
used the platform. Remarkably, 85% of them completed their courses. According
to the company, partner organizations have reported reductions in workplace
accidents, lower employee turnover, and increased productivity across various
industries.
Looking
ahead, Yrigoyen aims to expand Excuela in two major Spanish-speaking markets, Mexico and the United States. He hopes the company’s impact goes beyond skills
development. “Our vision
is not only to bring knowledge and skills to frontline workers but to also
connect them to better job opportunities, ultimately enabling social mobility,”
he explains.
Yrigoyen
Cook is also a frequent speaker on education and workforce innovation. He is a
member of Light at the End of the Tunnel and a graduate of the Y Combinator
entrepreneurship program. He was recently named one of the 35 Innovators Under
35 by MIT Technology Review in Spanish.
