Costa Rican investment pitch puts workforce training at the center

When a manufacturer evaluates a new plant location, one of the hardest questions it confronts is how quickly it can hire and train enough people to reach production targets. Costa Rican President Laura Fernández addressed that question directly in Madrid, where she presented her government’s investment strategy to Ibero-American business leaders. Her offer was specific. Companies that invest in Costa Rica could identify the skills their employees need, and the government would pay for the training. If companies can align that support with hiring and commissioning schedules, it could affect both the cost of opening a facility and the time it takes to bring it into production.

A training offer built around the jobs a company needs to fill

“Companies that invest in Costa Rica can define their employees’ training needs, and the government will fund that training,” Fernández told a gathering organized by the Business Council Alliance for Ibero-America, known as CEAPI.

The core idea behind this part of the Costa Rican investment strategy is to let employers specify what workers need to learn. An electronics assembler might need operators trained in soldering, inspection, and testing. A medical device manufacturer might need workers to learn cleanroom procedures and product traceability before they can work independently. An industrial supplier might need maintenance technicians and first-line supervisors ready before it adds a second shift. Each operation would bring a different training plan, even if the plants had similar headcounts.

Timing also affects how much the support is worth. If employees can complete training while equipment is being installed, a company can begin preparing its first shift before the line is ready. If approvals or instructor availability push training beyond equipment commissioning, the company may still have to carry payroll and facility costs while it waits for production to start.

What manufacturers should clarify before budgeting for training

The remarks reported from Madrid describe the government’s commitment in broad terms. For a manufacturer evaluating a Costa Rican investment, the next step is to match the offer against its hiring plan and determine which costs it can reasonably include in a project budget.

• Ask whether the offer covers new plants, expansions, and existing operations that introduce a new production process. Check for sector, location, investment, or job creation requirements.
• Covered costs. Establish whether funding applies to instructors, course development, equipment, certifications, trainee wages, or some combination of these expenses.
• Payment and approvals. Determine when approval is required, who pays upfront, and whether the government reimburses costs after training is completed.
• Delivery capacity. Find out who can deliver the training near the proposed site, how many people can be trained at once, and whether the provider can work to the plant’s schedule.
• Proof of readiness. Agree on how trainees will demonstrate the skills they need and who will confirm they are ready to work on the production line.

A manufacturer can make that conversation concrete by sharing the occupations it needs, the number of hires per shift, and the date each group must be ready. That gives both sides a basis for estimating what the training would cost and when it could begin.

What the Google alliance adds to the pitch

Fernández cited Costa Rica’s August 2026 strategic alliance with Google as an example of the country’s appeal to foreign investors. She also said Costa Rica had become a benchmark for attracting foreign capital during her first six months in office.

The alliance gives the administration a named example of its engagement with an international company. A manufacturer assessing a Costa Rican investment would need evidence closer to its own operating requirements. That could include the time comparable employers have needed to recruit technicians, the training capacity within commuting distance, and the number of qualified candidates available when several employers are hiring for similar roles.

Employment and security belong in the same discussion

Fernández also connected employment and education to crime prevention and called for firm enforcement. “In Costa Rica, anyone who commits a crime will receive a stiff sentence commensurate with the harm they have done to our society,” she said.

For employers, the security question is also local and practical. A plant running two or three shifts needs workers to get to and from the site outside normal business hours. Companies also need to understand security along freight routes and what they would have to budget for employee transport or site protection. Those details can vary by location and belong in the same operating assessment as labor availability and training.

How to judge whether the strategy delivers

CEAPI President Núria Vilanova emphasized the role of investment and employment in economic development and poverty reduction. Ana Pastor Julián, the organization’s secretary-general, made the connection explicit. “Without economic growth, there are no jobs. Without jobs, there is no well-being, and well-being is built through wealth,” she said.

To gauge how workforce training supports the Costa Rican investment strategy, the government can track how many people complete courses, move into the jobs they trained for, and stay with their employers. Companies can measure whether funded training helped them meet production milestones or fill technical positions that would otherwise have taken longer to staff. The most useful early evidence would come from employers that can trace the process from a training request through approval, hiring, and the first production run. That would give prospective investors a concrete basis for estimating what the program could do for their own projects.