Youth difficulties in their school-to-work transition in Latin America suggest that there is a gap between the skills demanded by firms to fill productive jobs and those provided by the education system. The objective of the school-to-work research agenda is to document this gap and to propose a set of policy recommendations aiming at bridging that gap.

We will analyze three main players: (i) students and workers, (ii) “skills’ producers” (secondary schools, training institutions); and, (iii) “skills’ demanders” (firms in the productive sector).

The main conclusions derived from the studies will be presented as a set of policy recommendations aiming at closing the gap between the supply and the demand of the skills, which matters in the context of a competitive global market. Some of these policy recommendations should include: (i) the education sector (at secondary and postsecondary level); (ii) the training system; and (iii) the complementarities between the education system and training policies in Latin America.

Program for the Formation of Human Resources Based on Competition (PROFORHCOM Phase II) in Mexico

Amount: US$50.4 million

Description: This operation corresponds to the second phase of a multi-phase program that aims to support the Department of Public Education in improving the quality and relevance of technical education at the middle and superior levels.

Objectives: The overall objective of the Program is to contribute to the improvement of the employability of workers and graduates of professional and technical schools. The specific objectives are: (i) to improve the competency of graduates of technical schools; (ii) to improve the relevance of technical schools; (iii) to improve labor skills standards in the public sector; and (iv) strengthen the impact of labor skills standards developed at technical schools.

Research in Chile

Amount: US$240.000

Description: Analysis of a survey of a representative sample of 4,500 urban youth in Chile with respect to their backgrounds and entrance in to the labor market, with the objective of identifying the main factors that affect the transition of young people from school to the labor market.

Objectives: The objective of this project is to analyze employment dynamics of young individuals in Latin America and their relationship with experiences at school. The general question addressed is to what extent young people’s prospects in the labor market are determined by family and community background, education variables, individual abilities and other factors.