Infrastructure and Technical, Socio-emotional Skills: Key for Education of Latin American Youth

Young people are a cornerstone of Latin America’s recovery. Currently, 60% of young Latin Americans (15–29 years old) are outside the school system, and one in five (23 million, of which 15 million are women) neither study nor work. To advance this pivotal agenda of concrete returns in the long term, CAF—development bank of Latin America—is implementing a comprehensive education agenda devoted to improving the well-being and competitiveness of the region, focusing on the quality and relevance of lessons learned.

In particular, with the aim of increasing access to schools in secondary education, CAF is a leading financier of initiatives such as the New Educational Infrastructure Program in Ecuador, the Educational Infrastructure Expansion and Modernization Program in Panama and the Educational Quality Improvement Program in Jujuy, Argentina. 

“These projects not only expand the educational offer, but include components that aim to improve the quality of learning based on curriculum review and didactic adjustments, professional improvement of teachers and incorporation of technologies. With increased coverage and quality of education we offer better opportunities to help build a better future for young people in the region,” said Julián Suárez Migliozzi, VICE President of Sustainable Development at CAF.

CAF also funds other projects that support the creation, expansion and/or rehabilitation of infrastructure for technical and vocational training such as the Specialized Higher Technical Institute (ITSE) and the comprehensive INADEH transformation plan, both in Panama, which aim to design a better training offer for young people in the technical and vocational fields. It also supports the university infrastructure program in Argentina and the renovation program of the faculty of natural and exact sciences and technology of the University of Panama which focuses on higher education.

With the publications “Policies to promote completion of middle education in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lessons from Mexico and Chile", which explores causes and possible policy options to curb school dropout; and “Technical Education and Vocational Training in Latin America and the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunities”, which identifies options for programs and policies implemented in Latin America that provide training and job insertion opportunities for young people on technical education and vocational training; CAF also contributes to the generation of applied knowledge to drive the comprehensive development of young people by training their skills.