Americas

The Future of Work in the Caribbean: What do we know? What do we need to know?

Kind:

Event

Start Date:

04 Dec 2017

End Date:

04 Jun 2026

Event Location:

Institute of Critical Thinking

EventType:

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Language Version:

Sources:

The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

Thumbnail

Anticipating and building skills for the future is essential to a rapidly changing labour market. This applies to changes in the types and levels of skills needed as well as in occupational and technical areas. Effective methods to anticipate future skills needs and avoid potential mismatches include: sustained dialogue between employers and trainers, coordination across government institutions, labour market information systems, employment services and performance reviews of training institutions.

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Knowledge Products:

Promotional material

Presentations, discussion papers, meeting reports, promotional materials, videos, fact sheets, brochures and newsletters on skills development for employment.

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAIM

Slug

promotional-material

A report on the findings will contribute towards the ILO global Initiative, including a constituent meeting to be convened by the ILO in 2018.

Introduction and rationale

The ILO and its Members have decided to implement a Future of Work Initiative that will culminate at the centennial International Labour Conference in 2019. The rationale behind the Future of Work Initiative is to reflect on the transformational changes taking place in the world of work, to understand the processes of change and to respond effectively so as to advance the shared commitment to decent work for all as reflected in the global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and ILO’s mandate of social justice.

Against this backdrop, the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean together with the ILO Research Department, in partnership with the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES ) at the University of West Indies, are interested in determining the current knowledge on selected key themes - as well as research orientation in the region for the near future - with the ultimate goal of determining research gaps and address them in the most suitable way.

Purpose

This consultation on the Future of Work in the Caribbean would further inform on a related and relevant research agenda. A report on the findings will contribute towards the ILO global Initiative, including a constituent meeting to be convened by the ILO in 2018. Further research initiatives would be targeted to ILO constituents (government, employers and workers) in the Caribbean. This also responds to the Conclusions of the 10th ILO Meeting of Caribbean Ministers of Labour in February 2017, to mainstream decent work in national development plans; linking research with policy making.

For additional background information on this event in addition to the Meeting Programme, click on the link below.

The Future of Work in the Caribbean: What do we know? What do we need to know?

Subject Tags:

Skills anticipation

Slug

skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Technology

Slug

technology

Identifier

345

Regions:

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Economic groups:

El futuro de la formación profesional en América Latina y el Caribe: desafíos y lineamientos para su fortalecimiento

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															El futuro de la formación profesional en América Latina y el Caribe: desafíos y lineamientos para su fortalecimiento
													

Language:

Spanish

Slug

spanish

Identifier

skpEsp

Sources:

ILO

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Training quality and relevance

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpTrainQR

Slug

training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues.

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

21 Oct 2017

Open

wcmstest4_193298.pdf

El objetivo del reporte es presentar un diagnóstico del estado, brechas y desafíos en materia de desarrollo de cualificaciones y competencias en los países de la región; tanto en relación con una caracterización de las ofertas y las demandas de formación profesional y las brechas y desajustes relacionados, como en materia de modelos institucionales, de financiamiento y de gobernanza de los sistemas de formación profesional. El informe se refiere a la formación profesional como una actividad educativa que se orienta hacia el desarrollo de habilidades y competencias de aplicación inmediata en el mundo del trabajo; este término también es conocido en la región como educación profesional, formación para el trabajo, formación vocacional, formación y capacitación laboral. En este Informe, esas acepciones se toman como sinónimos y se utilizan de manera intercambiable.

Está organizado de la siguiente manera. La primera parte contiene un diagnóstico del estado del arte, los rezagos y las brechas de la formación profesional en la región. Este diagnóstico se basó en la experiencia y conocimiento acumulado en OIT/Cinterfor, en la literatura existente, así como en una consulta en diversos países con instituciones miembros de OIT/Cinterfor en América Latina.

La última sección de la primera parte contiene una lista de las principales líneas de reforma que surgen del diagnóstico, con el objetivo de proveer una mejor puntualización de las líneas de trabajo relevantes hacia la transformación y fortalecimiento de la formación profesional. La segunda parte del reporte contiene fichas que resumen el diagnóstico en el ámbito nacional de la formación en cada uno de los países incluidos en el estudio.

Subject Tags:

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills mismatch

Slug

skills-mismatch

Identifier

654

Vocational training

Slug

vocational-training

Identifier

124

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

The Future of Work We Want: The Voice of Youth and Different Perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															The Future of Work We Want: The Voice of Youth and Different Perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

ILO

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Youth employability

Thumbnail

Globally, nearly 68 million young women and men are looking for and available for work, and an estimated 123 million young people are working but living in poverty. The number who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) stands at 267 million, a majority of whom are young women. Significantly, young people are three times as likely as adults (25 years and older) to be unemployed.

Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to make a smooth transition to work. A comprehensive approach is required to integrate young women and men in the labour market, including relevant and quality skills training, labour market information, career guidance and employment services, recognition of prior learning, incorporating entrepreneurship with training and effective skills forecasting. Improved basic education and core work skills are particularly important to enable youth to engage in lifelong learning as well as transition to the labour market.

Identifier

skpYoEmp

Slug

youth-employability

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

10 Oct 2017

Open

wcmstest4_193704.pdf

The report included in this publication is a first look at the perspectives and expectations of Latin American youth regarding the future of work. The report offers some conclusions based on the key results of both surveys, which aims to nourish and expand the discussion on the future of work. The report included in this publication is a first look at the perspectives and expectations of Latin American youth regarding the future of work. The report offers some conclusions based on the key results of both surveys, which we hope will nourish and expand the discussion on the future of work.

Both surveys generated new evidence on youth’s expectations with respect to their jobs, working conditions and education in the future. They also provided information on young people’s opinions regarding the effects of technology on education and work, changes that will occur in education and training for work, as well as the expected impact of these changes on their well-being and how much information they have about the discussion on the future of work. Finally, youth were asked about the strategies they will use to respond to these changes and how much confidence they have in the future, among other key issues.

The results reveal an optimistic outlook of youth in terms of employment opportunities and conditions the future will offer them, especially among the youngest group. Most young people believe that the penetration of new technologies, robotization and automation of processes will have a positive impact on their employment future. They have considerable confidence in the future. One hopeful result was that many young people are aware that they need to make a personal effort to acquire education and training to take advantage of the benefits of future opportunities. Despite evidence of mismatch in the labour market, most youth consulted believe that their studies will be useful in the future.

Subject Tags:

Skills anticipation

Slug

skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Youth

Slug

youth

Identifier

319

Youth unemployment

Slug

youth-unemployment

Identifier

622

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

Active labour market programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean: Evidence from a meta analysis

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															Active labour market programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean: Evidence from a meta analysis
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

ILO

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Career guidance and employment services

Thumbnail

Career guidance and counselling, career education and lifelong development of skills for employability are key for success in learning activities, effective career transitions, livelihood planning, entrepreneurship and in increasing labour market participation. They are instrumental in promoting skills utilization, recognition (RPL), as well as in improving enterprise human resource management.

Career development activities encompass a wide variety of support activities including career information and advice, counselling, work exposure (e.g. job shadowing, work experience periods), assessment, coaching, mentoring, professional networking, advocacy, basic and employability skills training (curricular and non-curricular) and entrepreneurship training. It is often an area which is fragmented across different ministries (e.g. education, TVET, employment, youth) requiring an effort to achieve the necessary coordination to provide adequate support to individuals during learning, employment and unemployment/inactivity periods.

Identifier

skpLMIES

Slug

career-guidance-and-employment-services

Monitoring and evaluation

Thumbnail

Measuring the outcomes of skills systems, policies and targeted programmes is essential in order to monitor and improve their effectiveness and relevance. Elements of sound assessment processes include: institutions to sustain feedback from employers and trainees; mechanisms to track labour market outcomes of training and systems of accountability that use this information; and, quantitative and qualitative labour market information and its dissemination to all stakeholders.

Identifier

skpPolPer

Slug

monitoring-and-evaluation

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

06 Oct 2017

Open

wcmstest4_193524.pdf

Research Department Working Paper n°20 This paper presents a systematic collection and assessment of impact evaluations of active labour market programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean The paper delineates the strategy to compile a novel meta database and provides a narrative review of 51 studies. Based on these studies, the quantitative analysis extracts a sample of 296 impact estimates, and uses meta regression models to analyse systematic patterns in the data. In addition to analysing earnings and employment outcomes as in previous meta analyses, we also code and investigate measures of job quality, such as the effects on hours worked and formality.

We find that ALMPs in LAC are particularly effective in increasing the probability of having a formal job, compared to other outcomes. Our results also show that training programmes are slightly more effective than other types of interventions. Moreover, when looking at the sample of training programmes alone, we observe that formal employment is also the outcome category that is most likely to be impacted positively by these programmes. In terms of targeting, we find that ALMPs in the region work better for women than for men, and for youth compared to prime-age workers.

Finally, medium-run estimates are not more likely to be positive than short-run estimates, while programmes of short duration (4 months or less) are significantly less likely to produce positive effects compared to longer interventions.

Subject Tags:

Labour market information

Slug

labour-market-information

Identifier

684

Youth unemployment

Slug

youth-unemployment

Identifier

622

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

Greening TVET in Latin America: Virtual conference synthesis report

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Greening TVET in Latin America: Virtual conference synthesis report

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Information is gathered from other international organizations that promote skills development and the transition from education and training to work. The Interagency Group on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IAG-TVET) was established in 2009 to share research findings, coordinate joint research endeavours, and improve collaboration among organizations working at the international and national levels.

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpIntOrg

Slug

international-organizations

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Training quality and relevance

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpTrainQR

Slug

training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

29 Sep 2017

Open

wcmstest4_193504.pdf

UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Forum, 5 to 11 June 2017. (The Spanish version of the report will come out in due course.) The report gives an overview how participants discussed, for example: (i) the links between economic, social and environmental factors to sustainable development; (ii) climate-change strategies in Latin America; and (iii) labour market changes in Latin America, and what the future skills requirements means for education and training institutions.

A hundred and twenty-one participants from 24 countries participated in the virtual conference.

Subject Tags:

Green jobs

Slug

green-jobs

Identifier

623

Green skills

Slug

green-skills

Identifier

645

TVET systems

Slug

tvet-systems

Identifier

661

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

The skills development challenge in Latin America: diagnosing the problems and identifying public policy solutions.

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															The skills development challenge in Latin America: diagnosing the problems and identifying public policy solutions.
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpIntOrg

Slug

international-organizations

Topics:

Access to training

Thumbnail

Access for all to good quality education, vocational training and workplace learning is a fundamental principle of social cohesion and economic growth. Some groups of people may require targeted attention if they are to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities.

This is particularly the case for disadvantaged youth, lower skilled workers, people with disabilities, and people in rural communities. The attractiveness of vocational education and training is enhanced when combined with entrepreneurship training and when public policies encourage utilization of higher skills by business.

Identifier

skpATSU

Slug

access-to-training

Skills policies and strategies

Thumbnail

Skills and employment policies should be viewed together. The full value of one policy set is realized when it supports the objectives of the other. For investments in education and training to yield maximum benefit to workers, enterprises, and economies, countries’ capacities for coordination is critical in three areas: connecting basic education to technical training and then to market entry; ensuring continuous communication between employers and training providers so that training meets the needs and aspirations of workers and enterprises, and integrating skills development policies with industrial, investment, trade, technology, environmental, rural and local development policies.

Identifier

skpPolConv

Slug

skills-policies-and-strategies

Training quality and relevance

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpTrainQR

Slug

training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

Policy and strategy

Recommendations and advice on resolving policy challenges related to skills development systems and their linkages to the world of work. Concise syntheses of experience from the international organizations.

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpPolOp

Slug

policy-and-strategy

Research papers

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

24 Aug 2017

Open

wcmstest4_192498.pdf

Latin America’s history has been characterized by fluctuating rates of economic growth, insufficient development of human capital, and high levels of income inequality. The end of a decade-long cycle of growth driven by high commodity prices signals that countries in Latin America must now face the challenge of improving productivity as a source of sustainable and equitable long-term growth. This requires tackling the challenge of skills development throughout the region. This paper argues that in spite of the striking increase in the years of schooling attained by adults in Latin American countries, there is consistent and compelling evidence of inadequate basic, technical, and socio-emotional skills development across the region. These gaps represent a bottleneck to productivity growth and to the ability of Latin American workers to obtain gainful employment. Our analysis also shows that relevance, quality, and efficiency limitations in secondary and tertiary education are key drivers of the skills development problem.

Subject Tags:

School-to-work transition

Slug

school-to-work-transition

Identifier

652

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

El futuro del trabajo que queremos. La voz de los jóvenes y diferentes miradas desde América Latina y el Caribe

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															El futuro del trabajo que queremos. La voz de los jóvenes y diferentes miradas desde América Latina y el Caribe
													

Language:

Sources:

ILO

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Youth employability

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpYoEmp

Slug

youth-employability

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

22 Aug 2017

Open

wcmstest4_192494.pdf

OIT Américas. Informes Técnicos 2017/7. El Informe que se presenta en esta publicación, es una primera aproximación a las percepciones y expectativas de los jóvenes latinoamericanos sobre el futuro del trabajo con base en los resultados de encuestas.

Los resultados señalan una perspectiva muy optimista por parte de los jóvenes sobre las oportunidades y condiciones laborales que el futuro les depara, especialmente entre los de menor edad.

Subject Tags:

Skills anticipation

Slug

skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Youth

Slug

youth

Identifier

319

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

6 ways Latin America can close its skills gap

Type:

Document

Content Type:

6 ways Latin America can close its skills gap

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Other sources

Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpOSource

Slug

other-sources

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Knowledge Products:

Promotional material

Presentations, discussion papers, meeting reports, promotional materials, videos, fact sheets, brochures and newsletters on skills development for employment.

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAIM

Slug

promotional-material

Publication Date:

17 Aug 2017

Open

wcmstest4_192321.pdf

This article draws attention to the skills gap in Latin America and the challenges of the region in this regard. Skills gaps are one of the leading social and economic issues of our time. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), more than in any other emerging region, companies are not seeing their skills needs being met. According to the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, 36% of firms say they struggle to find an adequately qualified work force, a percentage higher than in any other region in the world, compared to a global average of 21% and an OECD average of 15%. Addressing the human capital and skills gaps has very high development returns because human capital and skills are a vector connecting five of the key interrelated challenges facing the region: sluggish productivity growth, low innovation rates, inequality, informality and social exclusion.

Subject Tags:

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills anticipation

Slug

skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Skills mismatch

Slug

skills-mismatch

Identifier

654

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

The future of work, employment and skills in Latin America and the Caribbean

Type:

Document

Content Type:

The future of work, employment and skills in Latin America and the Caribbean

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

ILO

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Research papers

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

15 Aug 2017

Open

wcmstest4_192300.pdf

This paper analyses the ‘stylized facts’ of the current realities in the world of production and the world of work in Latin America and the Caribbean. It groups the key factors that can be considered as the main drivers of change and determinants of the future of work in the region. It suggests the need for a more integrated and renewed view of the nexus of productive development-technology-innovation-education-skills-employment and employability. And it argues the need for new, broader pacts that express this vision, along with institutional reforms that translate it into concrete, sustainable actions and State policies.

Subject Tags:

Employability

Slug

employability

Identifier

643

Productivity

Slug

productivity

Identifier

188

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills anticipation

Slug

skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Technology

Slug

technology

Identifier

345

Regions:

Americas

Region Image

Bridging Skills and Innovation Gaps in Latin America: Country Implementation of the Competitiveness Lab

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															Bridging Skills and Innovation Gaps in Latin America: Country Implementation of the Competitiveness Lab 
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Other sources

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpOSource

Slug

other-sources

Topics:

Career guidance and employment services

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpLMIES

Slug

career-guidance-and-employment-services

Participation of employers' and workers' organizations

Thumbnail

The world of learning and the world of work are separate but linked. While one involves learning, the other produces goods and services. Neither can thrive without the other. Strong partnerships between government, employers and workers help ensure the relevance of training to the changing needs of enterprises and labour markets.

Identifier

skpPSP

Slug

participation-of-employers-and-workers-organizations

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

15 Aug 2017

Open

wcmstest4_192299.pdf

Many factors, interacting in complex ways, determine a country’s competitiveness, or its ability to increase productivity. The World Economic Forum benchmarks these factors every year in The Global Competitiveness Report, showing how countries advance or fall behind on each factor, ranging from basic education and health to innovation and the transfer of technology.

Building on a long tradition of competitiveness research and benchmarking, the Forum designed the Competitiveness Lab project to help bridge gaps in competitiveness through focused public-private work that is facilitated by the Forum and leads to agendas with actionable reform.

The Competitiveness Lab’s Insight Report of January 2015, 'Bridging the Skills and Innovation Gap to Boost Productivity in Latin America', was well received, and the Forum was encouraged to continue with a second phase that moved beyond diagnosis and into action. The Lab’s Phase II, a country-level initiative, debuted in Colombia in 2015 and Mexico in 2016, with multi-stakeholder workshops prioritizing the Insight Report’s recommendations and identifying which one recommendation could successfully be promoted through public-private collaboration. While the World Economic Forum believes that making progress in competitiveness requires sound diagnosis and detailed analysis, it demands, above all, multi-stakeholder collaboration. Garnering efforts from relevant private- and public-sector entities and agencies in specific projects is one way to design actionable and impactful initiatives to close the gaps.

This report presents the Colombia Competitiveness Lab in detail, and a summary of the Mexico Lab, which is published in Spanish as a companion report. Both plans have been incorporated into the respective competitiveness agendas under steering board-member leadership. The Forum looks forward to implementing the jointly developed work plan and collaborating in the future with Colombia and Mexico, as well as other Latin American countries, within the Competitiveness Lab model.

Subject Tags:

Human resources development

Slug

human-resources-development

Identifier

118

Labour market information

Slug

labour-market-information

Identifier

684

Private sector

Slug

private-sector

Identifier

229

Productivity

Slug

productivity

Identifier

188

Regions: