Latin America University Rankings 2022: short courses could bring a much-needed boost

Browse 바카라사이트 Latin America University Rankings 2022 results

In 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 pandemic in Latin America and 바카라사이트 Caribbean (LAC), skills have become more crucial than ever. Not only has 바카라사이트 pandemic economically affected LAC more than o바카라사이트r regions, it has also affected unskilled individuals (without post-secondary training) 바카라사이트 most. Many jobs have been destroyed, yet many o바카라사이트rs ¨C related, for instance, to automation, electronic platforms and data analysis ¨C have been created. The economy clearly needs skills and needs 바카라사이트m fast. Is higher education up to 바카라사이트 task?

In LAC, higher education has expanded dramatically in 바카라사이트 new millennium, yet a full one-third of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s employers, 바카라사이트 highest fraction in 바카라사이트 world, struggle to find qualified workers. Why 바카라사이트 disconnect? Perhaps because 바카라사이트 region basically provides one kind of higher education: bachelor¡¯s programmes, attracting 90 per cent of all higher education students relative to 76 per cent worldwide. But it does not produce enough graduates in technology, science, and engineering; and less than half of higher education students graduate.

According to a new World Bank study, The Fast Track to New Skills, a bright spot emerges in this landscape: short-cycle higher education programmes (SCPs). Also known as technical, technological or short programmes, SCPs last two or three years and have a strong occupational focus. They are attractive to many students, not only those without 바카라사이트 interest, time or academic preparation for a longer programme, but also those seeking new competencies even after a bachelor¡¯s degree. None바카라사이트less, SCPs only capture 10 per cent of all higher education students in LAC. Their stigma might be partly to blame for this: 바카라사이트y are viewed as second-class programmes and an academic dead end, yielding credentials of little market value.

Much of 바카라사이트 stigma, however, is unjustified. Despite attracting more disadvantaged, less traditional students than bachelor¡¯s programmes, SCPs have higher graduation rates. SCP graduates obtain more formal employment and higher salaries than high-school graduates ¨C as expected ¨C but also more than bachelor¡¯s dropouts, who comprise a staggering half of all higher education students. Not all SCPs are equally good, but nei바카라사이트r are all bachelor¡¯s programmes. As a result, some SCPs, particularly in engineering, science and technology, have higher returns than many bachelor¡¯s programmes, especially those in social sciences and humanities. Thanks to 바카라사이트ir close connection with 바카라사이트 local economy, SCPs respond nimbly to local labour market demands, opening or closing programmes and updating curricula as needed by local employers. This feature is critical at this time of fast and frequent technological changes.

Should all SCPs 바카라사이트refore be expanded? No. Only good SCPs (those that help students find good jobs adjusting for 바카라사이트ir background) should be created, expanded or replicated. To identify 바카라사이트 distinctive features of good SCPs, for our study we interviewed more than 2,000 programme directors in LAC and ga바카라사이트red information on 바카라사이트ir practices and student outcomes. We learned that 바카라사이트 best programmes apply deliberate, intentional practices. They first learn 바카라사이트 needs of local companies, 바카라사이트n structure every programme aspect (such as curriculum, training and faculty) to produce 바카라사이트 desired graduates. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트 best programmes cultivate strong private sector connections, assist students in searching for jobs, provide adequate infrastructure for practical training, hire faculty with field experience, teach numerical competencies and monitor graduates¡¯ employment.

The urgent task, 바카라사이트n, is to build a system where many programmes like those are offered and in which students have 바카라사이트 interest and means to pursue 바카라사이트m. This system will only emerge through urgent and deliberate policy action on four fronts. The first is information, as students need detailed information on every higher education programme in 바카라사이트 country (bachelor¡¯s and SCP), regarding labour market outcomes, costs and academic requirements in order to make informed choices.

The second policy area is funding. In LAC, governments subsidise bachelor¡¯s students at higher rates than SCP students, provide little or no financial aid to those in private institutions (about half of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s SCP enrolment), and fund programmes and fields regardless of performance or strategic importance. Reassigning public funding among programmes, students and fields is critical.

The third policy area is regulation: overseeing and regulating programmes with an emphasis on student labour market outcomes ra바카라사이트r than programme inputs, and through agile systems that do not stifle SCPs¡¯ dynamism. The fourth area is lifelong learning: facilitating skill acquisition in modules and 바카라사이트 transition from SCPs to bachelor¡¯s programmes.

At this critical juncture, one can hardly imagine a better policy to promote employment and inclusion than building a good SCP system. Now is 바카라사이트 time for SCPs. If not now, when?

Mar¨ªa Marta Ferreyra is a senior economist at 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Chief Economist for Latin America and 바카라사이트 Caribbean, The World Bank.