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Apprentices and hiring quotas in Colombia: the SENA apprenticeship quota, its cash alternative and the disability hiring quota

Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Changing

Private companies with 15 or more workers (outside construction) must hire apprentices at one per 20 workers, as set by SENA, or pay SENA 1.5 minimum wages (COP 2,626,358, about US$831.54) a month for each missing apprentice. Since the 2025 reform the apprenticeship contract is a special fixed term labor contract of up to three years, with monthly support of 75 to 100 percent of the minimum wage and full social security in the practical phase. From 25 June 2026 companies must also employ at least two workers with certified disabilities per 100 workers (one more per additional 100 above 500) and report each hire to the Ministry of Labor within 15 days.

USD figures use the TRM (tasa representativa del mercado) of COP 3,158.43 per US dollar, valid 24 to 26 October 2026, from the official TRM series published by the Superintendencia Financiera on the national open data portal (datos.gov.co). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Workforce size from which the apprenticeship quota applies	15 workersLey 789 de 2002 art. 32, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Apprenticeship quota ratio	20 workers per apprenticeLey 789 de 2002 art. 33, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Monthly payment to SENA per apprentice not hired	1.5 monthly minimum wagesLey 789 de 2002 art. 34 (Ley 2466 de 2025 art. 23), as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Monthly payment to SENA per apprentice not hired, 2026	2626358 COPLey 789 de 2002 art. 34; Decreto 1469 de 2025, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum length of an apprenticeship contract	3 yearsCST art. 81 (Ley 2466 de 2025 art. 21), as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Workers with disabilities required per 100 workers (up to 500)	2 workersCST art. 57 num. 17 (Ley 2466 de 2025 art. 15), as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Private companies, of individuals or legal entities, in any activity other than construction that employ at least 15 workers must hire apprentices for occupations requiring methodical training. State industrial and commercial companies and mixed companies are also bound. University interns under the apprenticeship scheme may not exceed 25 percent of the apprentices. Companies with fewer than 10 workers may voluntarily take one SENA apprentice.Ley 789 de 2002, Art. 32, 2002-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. The SENA regional office of the company's main domicile sets the minimum number: one apprentice for every 20 workers and one more for a remaining fraction of 10 or more; companies with 15 to 20 workers have one. The company has five business days from notice to object. When an apprentice in the quota leaves, the company must replace them to keep the proportion.
Example: A company with 255 workers: 255 / 20 = 12 with a remainder of 15, which is 10 or more, so the quota is 13 apprentices. / Not a monetary rule; no USD equivalent.Ley 789 de 2002, Art. 33, 2002-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Companies that do not hire their apprentices pay SENA, for each apprentice not hired, 1.5 monthly minimum wages a month; partial monetization is proportional. Of these funds 25 percent go to support for SENA apprentices, 25 percent to rural technical training and 50 percent to the Fondo Emprender.
Cost to do it: COP 2,626,358 a month per missing apprentice (US$831.54); COP 31,516,290 a year (US$9,978.47).Ley 789 de 2002, as amended by Ley 2466 de 2025, Art. 34 (Ley 2466 art. 23), 2025-06-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: Ley 2466 de 2025 art. 23 rewrote Ley 789 art. 34 and set monetization at 1.5 minimum wages per missing apprentice per month.

4. The apprenticeship contract is a special fixed term labor contract governed by the Labor Code, for up to three years, in which the apprentice receives theoretical training at an authorized institution and practical training in the sponsoring company. Monthly support is at least 75 percent of the minimum wage in the first year of dual training and 100 percent in the second; 75 percent in the classroom phase and 100 percent in the practical phase of traditional training; and at least one minimum wage for university students. In the classroom phase the company pays health and occupational risk; in the practical phase (or all of dual training) the apprentice is affiliated to pension, health and risk as an employee and earns all labor benefits.
Cost to do it: Support of COP 1,313,179 (75 percent, US$415.77) to COP 1,750,905 (100 percent, US$554.36) a month, plus social security and, in the practical phase, benefits.Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, as amended by Ley 2466 de 2025, Art. 81 (Ley 2466 art. 21), 2025-06-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: Ley 2466 de 2025 art. 21 repealed Ley 789 art. 30 (a special form within labor law with support of 50 percent of the minimum wage in the classroom phase and 75 percent in the practical phase) and made the apprenticeship a special fixed term labor contract in CST art. 81.

5. Companies with up to 500 workers must employ at least two workers with disabilities for every 100 workers; above 500, one more for each additional bracket of 100. The obligation is measured on permanent staff, disabilities must be certified under Ministry of Health rules, and each contract must be reported on the Ministry of Labor website within 15 days. It was optional in the first year after 25 June 2025 and is mandatory from the second year; where no such hiring is possible the company must inform the Ministry. Breaches are sanctioned under Ley 1610 de 2013.Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, as amended by Ley 2466 de 2025, Art. 57 num. 17 and par. 2 and 3 (Ley 2466 art. 15), 2025-06-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: New quota created by Ley 2466 de 2025 art. 15; mandatory from 25 June 2026.

6. Medical interns doing the compulsory rotating internship receive at least one minimum wage a month, paid by ADRES, with full social security on that base.Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, as added by Ley 2466 de 2025, Art. 81A (Ley 2466 art. 22), 2025-06-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Workers	Apprentice quota	Annual monetization if no apprentice hired, COP	USD
15	1	31,516,290	9,978.47
50	3	94,548,870	29,935.40
100	5	157,581,450	49,892.34
255	13	409,711,770	129,720.07
600	30	945,488,700	299,354.01

Apprenticeship quota and monetization cost, 2026 (1.5 minimum wages = COP 2,626,358 a month). USD at COP 3,158.43.

Worked example

A BPO company with 600 workers has a SENA quota of 30 apprentices. Paying monetization for all 30 would cost COP 945,488,700 a year (about US$299,354.01). Hiring 30 apprentices in their practical phase at 100 percent of the minimum wage costs COP 630,325,800 a year in support (about US$199,569.34) plus social security and benefits, but trains future staff.
From 25 June 2026 the same company must, on a plain reading of the rule, have at least 11 workers with certified disabilities among its permanent staff (two per 100 for the first 500 workers, one more for the next bracket of 100) and report each such contract to the Ministry of Labor within 15 days.

Step by step

1. Count workers each period: from 15 workers (outside construction) the apprenticeship quota applies.
2. Check the SENA resolution setting your quota and object within five business days if it does not fit your occupations.
3. Choose between hiring apprentices (written apprenticeship contract under CST art. 81) and paying monetization monthly to SENA.
4. Replace apprentices who leave to keep the proportion (Ley 789 art. 33 par.).
5. Map permanent headcount against the disability quota and report each hire on the Ministry of Labor site within 15 days.

Common traps

Old support and monetization amounts. Since 25 June 2025 support is 75 to 100 percent of the minimum wage (it was 50 and 75 percent) and monetization is 1.5 minimum wages per missing apprentice per month.
Treating apprentices as non employees. Under Ley 2466 the apprenticeship is a labor contract; in the practical phase apprentices earn benefits and full social security.
University interns beyond 25 percent of the quota do not count (Ley 789 art. 32).
Ignoring the disability quota because it was optional. It became mandatory on 25 June 2026 (Ley 2466 art. 15 par. 3).

Sources

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