Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – In a landmark move to advance the country’s workforce development and digital transition agenda, Dominican Vice President Raquel Peña officially cut the ribbon on the nation’s very first National STEM Fair during a Monday ceremony, a purpose-built initiative focused on removing barriers for young people to access structured learning, financial support, and formal career openings across science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Helmed by Congressman Vicente Sánchez Henríquez, the multi-stakeholder event has assembled a diverse cohort of K-12 and university students, leading domestic and international technology firms, and globally recognized industry experts, with a packed schedule of interactive workshops, credentialed certification programs, keynote conferences, and structured peer-to-professional networking sessions designed to foster meaningful, long-term connections between emerging talent and industry leaders. During her opening address, Vice President Peña emphasized that the fair is a core aligned component of the Dominican Republic’s national digital transformation roadmap, explicitly crafted to upskill the country’s youth population to meet the fast-shifting, skill-intensive requirements of the 21st-century labor market. Beyond educational programming, the fair also delivers direct, tangible opportunities for attendees, including exclusive internship placements with participating tech employers, curated one-on-one introductions to hiring managers at leading firms, and merit-based scholarships for high-performing student participants, creating a structured bridge that closes the historic disconnect between formal academic curricula and the practical, in-demand skill sets required for gainful STEM sector employment.
Raquel Peña inaugurates Dominican Republic’s first National STEM Fair
