Train-the-trainer program powers the future of work in the Dominican Republic

February 2026

An HP LIFE train-the-trainer program sponsored by the ITU and the Norwegian Government is helping educators across the Dominican Republic unlock their potential by equipping them with digital skills to empower their peers and drive meaningful change in classrooms nationwide.

When Jovanna Morel Robles joined the El Factor Community Technology Centre (CTC), she was already passionate about teaching. But the challenges she observed in her classroom—and communities across the Dominican Republic—motivated her to do more.

Seeking innovative ways to strengthen her skills and create a more effective learning environment, Jovanna joined the Scaling Entrepreneurial and Leadership Skills Training Program co-organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative and United Nations Development Programme’s Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (UNDP ICPSD).

In 2019, the DTC Initiative was launched by the ITU in partnership with Cisco to support countries in strengthening their citizens’ digital skills, particularly in disconnected communities. The Initiative operates through a global network of national institutions—known as Digital Transformation Centers (DTCs)—which deliver digital skills training programs in their countries. To date, the Initiative has reached over 758,000 participants, 51% of whom are female—addressing a persistent gender skills gap.

The Scaling Entrepreneurial and Leadership Skills Training Program is one example of the DTC Initiative’s impact. In 2023, the train-the-trainer program was implemented by ITU, UNDP ICPSD, and powered by the HP Foundation. Its objective is to improve educators’ digital skills, strengthen their teaching methodologies, and give them the tools and confidence to cascade their new knowledge to their peers—multiplying the program’s impact and enabling people in disconnected communities across 15 countries to adapt to the demands of the digital economy.

The HP Foundation’s free business and digital skills training program, HP LIFE, is a core resource for the DTC Initiative—and millions of learners worldwide. HP LIFE offers more than 30 courses in eight languages, accessible via the HP LIFE platform, online and offline through the HP LIFE mobile app, and in-person through partners like UNDP who integrate it into their economic empowerment programs. Ranging from AI and entrepreneurship to marketing and finance, HP LIFE courses all have one thing in common—equipping learners with the skills needed to participate and thrive in the future of work.

Powering the future of work in the Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, the Scaling Entrepreneurial and Leadership Skills Training Program was rolled out through Centros Technologicos Comunitarios (CTS), which serve as the country’s Digital Transformation Centre (DTC). Educators like Jovanna who took part in the training learned how to strengthen their teaching by incorporating current methodologies, inclusive teaching methods, and digital tools, including HP LIFE, into their classrooms.

After successfully completing the training, Jovanna became one of the facilitators trained by CTC under the DTC Initiative. At the CTC located in the El Factor municipality, she now uses HP LIFE courses to train young people and women-led microbusinesses in finance and online sales.

“The programs initiated by ITU, UNDP ICPSD, and HP LIFE have been fundamental in expanding learning opportunities for the most disadvantaged communities in the Dominican Republic, especially in the municipality of El Factor. Through these initiatives, I have been able to deliver a wide variety of training courses in collaboration with the El Factor Municipal Council, benefiting both its staff and citizens who would otherwise not have had access to this type of training,” says Jovanna.

The positive impact of Jovanna’s new approach is already being felt by her students. One learned how to organize the accounts for her small baking business after taking HP LIFE’s “Basics of Finance” course. Another applied the lessons she learned through HP LIFE’s entrepreneurship and sales courses to start a clothing store in her community. “These achievements demonstrate how training not only impacts the individual's learning but also contributes to local economic and social growth,” says Jovanna.

At CTC Sombrero, Eury Celado, another graduate of the train-the-trainer program, has helped hundreds of people start small businesses using HP LIFE’s “Success Mindset” and “How to Start a Small Business” courses. “It has opened many doors—for me and for them,” he says.

In El Cedro, Arsenio Camacho, Technology Facilitator at the local CTC, attests to the training’s impact, citing its quality and the practical skills he acquired, which have transformed his classroom approach: “My experience with instructor training has been very good and high quality. I learned to create content and presentations, share them with my colleagues, and use platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams effectively to reach more learners,” he says.

Through the Scaling Entrepreneurial and Leadership Skills Training and the ITU’s Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative, trainers like Jovanna, Arsenio, and Eury have brought HP LIFE to over 100 CTCs in the Dominican Republic, equipping thousands of learners—and counting—with the critical skills needed to participate and thrive in the future of work.