So far this year, interest in distance education services in Central American markets has clearly increased, with Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras being the countries that have registered the greatest increases in interactions associated with the topic.
Through a system monitoring changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries in real time, developed by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
Shorter university degrees that focus on technical areas and the new requirements of the productive sector are some of the changes that will be part of the new reality of the education business.
In this context of radical changes caused by the covid-19 crisis, new labor trends will require the development of competencies, such as entrepreneurship, agility, adaptability and service mentality, digital skills, food, telecommuting and home-based businesses, health and hygiene, e-commerce, new distribution and logistics models, information technology and robotics.
In Costa Rica, "of the 126,000 students graduating with technical qualifications, between 2014 and 2016, the vast majority gained the lowest level qualification."
EDITORIAL
Figures from the most recent report on the State of Education in Costa Rica, continue to show serious deficiencies in the education system, not only at the technical and university level, but, even worse, in Primary school, where basic concepts that will serve as a foundation for secondary and university education are supposed to be consolidated.
There is still a shortage of workers with the skills and technical training needed to work in several sectors, ranging from agriculture to telecommunications.
Workers with skills to not only operate but also repair specialized farm machinery, and even to train people in the operation of specialized software are what companies have been unable to find in different sectors in Nicaragua.Despite efforts, some even made byvarious private companies, to fund studies and train their employeesso that they can acquire the necessary skills, there remains a significant gap between labor supply and demand in the country.
Lack of technically skilled labour is forcing some companies to bear the cost of training their employees.
Food technology and industrial electronics courses haven arisen precisely in response to the needs of the private sector, which increasingly needs employees with technical training.This was explained to Elnuevodiario.com.ni by Berta Mayela Quintanilla, "...
Nicaraguan companies are having difficulty finding employees who are 24 years old or younger with the required socio-emotional and academic skills.
From the executive summary of a document entitled "Skills required by companies in Nicaragua" prepared by Funides:
Studies have been done at the international level that have found no relationship between years of education and economic growth, which has led to the discussion turning from schooling to the quality of education as a key element for economic growth.
In Panama four out of ten companies failed to find the ideal candidates when they needed them.
Data from Manpower reveals that worldwide the talent shortage is around 40%, in Colombia it is 50% and in Panama 36%.Monica Flores, president of the group for the region, said that"...
In Costa Rica most college students crave "fixed and stable jobs" in state enterprises.
EDITORIAL
The words "fixed" and "stable" are not exactly what you would expect to hear from young twentysomethings, supposedly eager for challenges, opportunities and adventures.However, in Costa Rica, a survey carried out by Universum indicates that most college students are looking for a job for life in a state institution.
Seven out of ten entrepreneurs in Costa Rica would be willing to implement training programs for young people in the academic-work placement format.
A statement from the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP) notes that"...72% of employers would be interested in launching training programs under the dual mode and 83% said they already have accepted into their businesses students or trainees for internships or professional work experience."
Dual education is a system which corrects the permanent discrepancy that exists between centralized education and labor supply, reducing youth unemployment and increasing the productivity of economies.
EDITORIAL
The use of professional training is the foundation for the success of Germany's productivity, and has been adopted in most European countries, with particular strength in Austria and Switzerland.
The private sector is proposing that universities develop courses at a technical level in areas such as electronics or hospitality, rather than just focusing on higher level academic degrees and diplomas.
This shift in the educational system which it is hoped will happen in universities would need to be a public-private joint effort, since, according to presidential advisor Bayardo Arce, "...
"... Some of the professions reserved for national citizens are chemical engineering and petrochemicals, careers which are not offered by any university in Panama. "
EDITORIAL
Acting as a backdrop to the contradiction between migrant's human right to work and the need to reserve jobs for nationals, is the upkeep of competitiveness and economic development of each country.
The HKND dealership has announced that it requires 50,000 domestic workers for the project and that the more specialized positions will be filled by Chinese professionals.
In a presentation on the project to the representatives of trade unions in the country, the Chinese company HKND noted that "... part of the proposals ... are structuring a work plan between the construction sector, universities and technical training institutes.
With the training of 8000 construction workers the guild seeks to improve the quality of the workforce and prepare to meet the demand from projects announced by the government and private industry.
The worker training sessions will be conducted jointly by the Nicaraguan Chamber of Construction (NCC) and the Technological Institute (Inatec), and will begin with the training of 8000 workers over a period of 4 months.
A lack of specialized technical personnel in manufacturing is raising business costs and reducing productivity.
The lack of staff qualified to repair machinery is not only raising costs but is also creating additional delays, causing a decrease in customers and jeopardizing business continuity. It is estimated that the poor repair of machines makes operating costs of enterprises up to 20% more expensive.