#EnQuéEstamos

Communications Office

CES University and Noel Foods  have signed an agreement for the creation of the VEA Academy (Living in Harmony), a training platform focused on the well-being and care of people. This space is designed, initially, for promoters of the food company’s brands, with a pilot program with 100 participants, including shopkeepers and Noel businesspeople.

“For the University, the relationship between academia and the productive sector is the best way to achieve social appropriation of knowledge, that is, to transform science into practical solutions that improve peoples´ lives. This is the way to strengthen and develop capacities so that individuals have the tools to positively transform their daily lives; this is the true social impact, essential in the fulfillment of our mission as a University”, stated Piedad Roldán Jaramillo, Dean of the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at CES University.

The training program consists of three modules: Taking Care of Yourself, Enjoying the Present and Connecting, with a total duration of 20 hours, using information and communication technologies (ICT) and with the accompaniment of teachers. The modules will cover key topics for comprehensive wellness. The Taking care of yourself module will focus on nutrition, physical activity and sleep; Enjoying the Present will address the management of emotions, communication and personal finances; while Connecting will focus on interpersonal relationships, the environment and sustainability.

“The VEA Academy is a training initiative in wellness, in care, in living in harmony that the brand wants to develop to benefit not only the end consumer but also all its employees. They see us as an important ally not only in terms of skills certification, but also in evaluating what is done to replicate it in other countries,” said María Alejandra Agudelo Martínez, Research and Innovation Coordinator of the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences. In this regard, Agudelo also added that “It is very important for us to transcend beyond what we do as a higher education  institution , generating a social impact through this type of project. Collaborating with a company like Noel and its Tosh brand allows us to see results in the short and medium term”.

The program will end in December 2024, and the agreement will remain in force until June 2025. The project is currently in its initial needs assessment phase, and  is expected that by 2025 the VEA Academy will be able to expand and train up  to 500 people outside Colombia, in Costa Rica.