Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA

What Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA does

Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA is the official public employment service of Colombia, operated as a unit of SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje), the country's national vocational training institution. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Bogotá, the agency runs a free, non-discriminatory national labor intermediation platform connecting Colombian job seekers with employers across all occupational sectors and regions. The service is mandated by law and operates under Article 15 of the Colombian Political Constitution, Law 1266 of 2008, and Law 1581 of 2012, with jurisdiction formally seated in Bogotá.

The core product is a web-based employment intermediation platform (spe-web) accessible at agenciapublicadeempleo.sena.edu.co. Job seekers self-register to create and maintain resumes, search vacancies via 'auto-consultation' matching against their occupational profile, and apply to positions. Employers register once using a valid NIT (validated against DIAN tax authority records) to post real vacancies and directly search/preselect candidates from the resume database, with the system restricting preselection to candidates active in the last 45 days. The platform also manages organized international labor migration flows under agreements with Spain, Canada, and the Andean Community, coordinating candidate verification, employer interview scheduling, and embassy-based logistics. In parallel, job seekers can enroll in up to two complementary SENA vocational training courses directly through the platform, linking employment intermediation with workforce development.

The business model is purely public: the service generates no commercial revenue and charges no fees to either side of the marketplace. It is funded through the Colombian government's allocation to SENA and operates as a constitutionally mandated public good. Distribution combines the self-service web portal with physical regional centers and satellite offices in all Colombian capital cities, supporting in-person registration, document verification, and telephone-based vacancy registration. With 780 employees, the agency functions as a national-scale workforce infrastructure layer rather than a commercial venture, with key partnerships spanning the Ministry of Labor, DIAN, the SPE Information System, the Spanish Embassy, and the CAN member states.

Name

Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA

Legal name

Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA

Website

https://agenciapublicadeempleo.sena.edu.co

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA is Colombia's official public employment service, operating a free web-based labor intermediation platform that connects job seekers with employers nationwide and manages international migration programs with Spain, Canada, and the Andean Community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Administration of General Economic Programs (92611), Public Administration (92), Administration of Human Resource Programs (923)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Labor, Employment Standards & Workforce Development Administration (BPAIABAN)

Keywords

• Public employment services
• Labor market intermediation
• Job matching platform
• Vocational training integration
• Employment agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Employment Service (Gratuito): The Agency operates as a free public service funded by the Colombian government through SENA. The service is explicitly described as gratuito (free) and indiscriminado (non-discriminatory). No revenue is generated from users - employers and job seekers access the platform at no cost. The service is a public function created by legal mandate to facilitate labor intermediation in Colombia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA operates a free web-based employment intermediation platform (spe-web) that connects Colombian job seekers (personas) with employers (empresas), supporting resume registration, vacancy posting, and labor market matching. The agency operates as part of SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje), Colombia's national vocational training system, and serves as the country's public employment service.

Product overview

The Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA is a single unified web-based platform providing public employment services in Colombia. The core offering is the web portal (Sena APE/SPE-web) which serves both job seekers (personas) and employers (empresas). Job seekers can register and update their resumes, search for suitable vacancies, and apply through the system. Employers can register their companies, publish job vacancies, and access a database of candidate resumes for pre-selection. The platform operates as an intermediary connecting workers seeking employment with companies requiring staff, functioning as a free public service under Colombian law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Web-Based Employment Portal (spe-web) A free, web-based employment intermediation platform that connects Colombian job seekers (personas) with employers (empresas), enabling resume registration, vacancy posting, and job matching. The platform serves as the primary online channel for SENA's public employment service.

Quantifiable outcome

• Candidates not attending scheduled interviews are suspended from the service to ensure equal opportunity for other applicants.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ministerio de Trabajo (Ministry of Labor - Colombia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational labor migration programs with Spain require initial request through the Ministry of Labor of the requesting country to obtain certification of lack of specialized human capital. The Ministry coordinates with foreign embassies for migration workflow.
• Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN) - Andean Community of NationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional labor migration agreement under Decision 116 of 1977 enabling free labor movement among Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. SENA facilitates preselection of Colombian candidates for companies created in CAN member countries.
• DIAN - Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales de ColombiacoreTechnology or IntegrationEmployer registration requires valid NIT from DIAN (Tax and Customs Authority). The system validates employer identification against DIAN records and requires omission of the check digit for verification.
• Servicio Público de Empleo (SPE) - Public Employment Service SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe APE is a provider of the Public Employment Service (SPE) system. Basic resume data is transmitted to the SPE Information System. All authorized SPE providers can access candidate information for placement services.
• Embassy of Spain in ColombiaflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Spanish Embassy coordinates logistics and preselection of Colombian candidates for Spanish employers under the migratory flows agreement. Candidates selected by Spanish employers are interviewed at the Embassy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Computrabajo: Leading Latin American online job board with strong presence in Colombia — competing regionally for the same job-seeker and employer audience as SENA APE in the Colombian market.
• InfoJobs: Major Spanish and Latin American job platform offering vacancy posting and candidate matching — comparable in intermediation model though primarily operating outside Colombia as a regional job marketplace.

Direct peers

• Pôle Emploi: France's official public employment service operating a free, government-mandated job-matching platform connecting job seekers with employers — directly comparable in mandate, free service model, and intermediation function to SENA APE.
• Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Arbeitsagentur): Germany's federal employment agency operating a comprehensive free public employment service with job-matching, training integration, and international labor mobility — comparable in mandate and scale.
• SEPE - Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal: Spain's national public employment service providing free labor intermediation and unemployment benefits — directly analogous to SENA APE, and a key partner in the bilateral Spain-Colombia migration program.
• Servicio Nacional del Empleo (México): Mexico's official public employment service offering free job-matching for job seekers and vacancy posting for employers — closely comparable in Latin American public-sector intermediation function.

Broad incumbents

• Indeed: Global private job-search platform operating in Colombia and competing for the same job-seeker and employer audience as SENA APE, but as a broader commercial incumbent with monetized employer services.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and workforce solutions provider operating in Colombia — competes with SENA APE in the broader employment services space, including permanent placement and international labor mobility programs.
• LinkedIn: Professional networking platform with a dominant job-matching function in Colombia — competes for the same employer/recruiter audience as SENA APE but operates as a broad incumbent with paid talent solutions.
• Adecco: Global HR services firm with staffing, recruitment, and workforce solutions across Latin America — adjacent competitor in the same employment-services space as SENA APE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empleosena

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agencia Pública de Empleo SENA