Jorge Barragan is the Chief Program Officer at the International Youth Foundation, where he leads the global vision, strategy, and execution of programs that equip young people worldwide to thrive in work and life. He oversees a multi-country portfolio spanning technical and vocational education, workforce readiness, and youth entrepreneurship, with deep experience designing and scaling technician-track training across Latin America, including advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, and skilled trades programs in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru.

Jorge's background includes public employment policy work in Mexico, which shapes how he thinks about connecting technical training to real labor-market demand and building pathways that public institutions can sustain long after a single program ends.

His leadership focuses on three core priorities: delivering high-quality programs on time and on budget, building cross-sector partnerships that strengthen technical education systems, and accelerating impact through innovative models, data, and responsible AI solutions that reach more young people.

He is passionate about building high-performing teams, expanding local ownership and leadership, and designing solutions that endure beyond any single grant cycle.