World Bank Group
Education Global Practice
Smarter Education Systems for Brighter Futures
SNAPSHOT
Ski ls for Jobs in the 21 st Century
2015
Overview                         most important predictors of equity  education programs to the job
Therein access to education and learning                          market. More than 50 percent of
between learning outcomes n   It is crucial that countries ensure that  employers surveyed globally claim
betwenomiearnonghoutcompeschand  children and youth, regardless of  that they cannot find the right skills,
economic growth. From preschool  their socioeconomic background or  while 80 percent of job seekers
to university to technical and
vocational programs, education   gender, benefit from equitable access  fail to find a job. The gap between
mattersto a quality education. Returns to                        supply and demand must be closed
matters  forlhumantdevelopmentn and  schooling  are  positive  and  significant  by  making  the  critical link  with
future employment. Swift changesg                      gy                g
in technology, for example, have  in all countries. Tertiary education,  the private sector and factoring in
shifted the focus of a well-educated  in particular, pays off for women.  investment trends, new technologies,
worker in the 21st century from the  Governments must also ensure access  and structural shifts in economies
qualifications needed for doing a  to technical and vocational education  as they develop. With the rapid
'lifetime' job to the skills needed  and training (TVET).        expansion of basic education in most
to do specific tasks in jobs that are  Quality. The quality of education  developing countries, the emerging
constantly changing.             service provision should be     challenge is to provide education
This is especially relevant for young  conducive to quality learning and  services and skills that enable
people entering the workforce.   teaching, and help reduce repetition  onliin the cor mrt
Approximately 75 million young   and dropout rates. The programs,  but at the loal lvel ae
people in the developing world   curricula, teacher training and
are unemployed, and youth        teaching practices, and teaching
unemployment rates are 2 to 4 times  aids must help build a knowledge
as high as those of adults in most  economy. Despite the increase in  Given the complexity of this issue,
countries. To be productive and  schooling, firms around the world  there is no single indicator that can
employable members of society,   complain about lack of skilled  capture the transition of youth into
their education must equip them  workers. In Latin America, about 35  labor markets.
with relevant market skills that blend  percent of firms identify inadequate  The World Bank Group's (WBG)
knowledge and technical knowhow  workforce skills as a major constraint.  Systems Approach for Better
with soft and hard skills. Employers  In the Middle East and North Africa,  Education Results (SABER)-
want workers who have technical  about 28 percent of all production  Workforce Development initiative
expertise, communication skills, can  workers are 'unskilled'. Further,  focuses on the effectiveness of
work collaboratively in teams and  education that encompasses    the education and training system
know how to analyze problems by  information technology and      in generating skills demanded
thinking critically.             computer skills are a must in today's  by employers and the workplace.
world. Frequent use of computers on  A diagnostic tool, developed on
Key Issues                       the job is associated with around 108  the basis of knowledge of global
Access. Government policies      percentage point increase in hourly  good practices in enhancing
must promote equity in access to  earnings, on average,          linkages between skills supply and
education and learning. Of the   Relevance to the job market.    demand, it helps inform policy
many policies under the control of  Educating for job market relevance  dialogue on strategies for workforce
governments, the allocation of public  is crucial in today's world. Education  development in low- and middle-
spending is probably one of the  institutions must link their higher  income countries.
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Further, the WBG's Skills Towards  women. In addition, the country  have received stipends and 29,700
Employment and Productivity (STEP)  has consolidated and increased the  trainees received training from these
program is the first ever initiative to  coverage of a lifelong learning and  training providers, 25 percent of
measure skills in low and middle-  competency-based training system  them being women.
income countries. It provides policy-  for disadvantaged adults. Argentina  Africa Centers of Excellence:
relevant data to enable a better  also invests in the less skilled  It is not sufticient for economies
understanding of skill requirements in  through additional education and  to generate jobs; countries must
the labor market, backward linkages  training for school leavers who have  also ensure that higher education
between skills acquisition and   not completed secondary education.  is aligned with the current and
educational achievement, personality,  Bangladesh: The Skills and Training  foreseeable needs of society, so
and social background, and forward  Enhancement Project is helping  that there is a steady supply of skills.
linkages between skills acquisition  to ensure better employment  In Africa, the WBG s supporting
and living standards, reductions  opportunities for the Bangladeshi  the Africa Centers of Excellence
in inequality and poverty, social  labor force, in both local and  program (ACE) with a focus on
inclusion, and economic growth.  overseas job markets, including  science, technology, engineering
Resultsthose from disadvantaged                                   and mathematics (STEM)-related
Resltssocioeconomic backgrounds. The                      disciplines. The program is helping
Argentina: Through the Lifelong  project has strengthened public  to build regional expertise and
Learning and Training Project,   and private training institutions  education in areas of growth in
Argentina delivers employment    to improve skills training and   the economy, such as extractive
and training services to more than  employability of trainees. Since  industries, energy, water, and
two million unemployed workers   2010, about 69,000 diploma students  infrastructure, as well as in the fields
and youth, of which about half are  from 93 polytechnic institutions  of health and telecommunications.
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