The goal of this paper is to shed light on the impact of public training programs in Colombia. To this effect, we use various data sets and put into practice various methodologies. We use data from both a living standard survey and a survey of SENA trainees to evaluate the impact of SENA courses. In addition, we use public opinion polls to evaluate the perception of managers and workers as well as that of the public at large about the role of SENA and the quality of the training provided.