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São necessários incentivos para alinhar resultados às necessidades de estudantes e países CIDADE DO MÉXICO, 17 de maio de 2017 – O número de estudantes em programas de ensino superior quase dobrou na última década na América Latina e no Caribe (ALC). Contudo, apenas a metade deles se forma no período normal, o que indica que ainda há muito a fazer em termos de eficiência e qualidade, revela um novo relatório do Banco Mundial: Em uma encruzilhada: O Ensino superior na América Latina e no Caribe, divulgado hoje. "O ensino superior é fundamental para impulsionar o crescimento e reduzir a pobreza e a desigualdade", disse o Vice-Presidente do Banco Mundial para a América Latina e o Caribe, Jorge Familiar. "Para garantir a igualdade de oportunidades, a região tem que melhorar a qualidade da educação e proporcionar aos alunos melhores informações sobre cursos, incentivos e opções de financiamento adequados e conexões com o mercado de trabalho. Também é necessária uma melhor regulamentação das instituições de ensino superior para melhorar a prestação de contas pelos serviços que prestam". Uma boa educação desempenha um papel importante na melhoria das perspectivas de renda. Em particular, o relatório conclui que, em média, na ALC, um estudante com grau de educação superior vai ganhar mais do dobro do que um aluno com um diploma do ensino médio. Na região, o percentual de indivíduos entre 18 e 24 anos de idade matriculados no ensino superior aumentou de 21% em 2000 para 40% em 2010. Embora o acesso ainda seja desigual, houve progressos substanciais, particularmente entre os grupos de baixa e média renda. Em média, os 50% mais pobres da população representavam apenas 16% dos estudantes do ensino superior em 2000, mas esta proporção aumentou para cerca de 25% em 2013. Ao mesmo tempo, cerca de um quarto das instituições de ensino superior (IES) que existem hoje foram abertas durante esse período – muitas delas pelo setor privado – o que elevou a participação de IES privadas no mercado de 43% para 50% entre o início dos anos 2000 e 2013. Contudo, a região tem apenas cerca de dez IES entre as 500 melhores instituições de ensino superior do mundo, um número superior apenas ao da África. "Houve uma grande expansão das instituições de ensino superior e das matrículas, especialmente entre os estudantes de baixa renda", disse Maria Marta Ferreyra, principal autora do relatório e economista sênior do Banco Mundial. "No entanto, os resultados estão aquém do potencial, e apenas a metade dos estudantes recebe o seu diploma superior entre os 25-29 anos de idade, quer porque ainda estão estudando ou por desistência”. Entre as causas das altas taxas de desistência estão o despreparo acadêmico, devido em parte à baixa qualidade da educação média, e a falta de recursos financeiros de estudantes de baixa renda. Outras causas podem incluir a longa duração de alguns dos cursos e a falta de flexibilidade para transferências entre eles – questões que são especialmente relevantes hoje em dia, quando mais pessoas do que nunca mudam de emprego e de carreira ao longo da vida. Entre as medidas que podem ajudar a resolver alguns desses problemas estão:Gerar e divulgar informações sobre o desempenho das instituições e dos cursos, para que os alunos possam fazer escolhas informadas.Conceber melhores sistemas de financiamento para proporcionar incentivos para que as instituições e os estudantes obtenham bons resultados, e eliminar as barreiras financeiras ao acesso ao ensino superior através de instrumentos como bolsas de estudo, ajudas-de-custo e empréstimos estudantis.Ajudar os estudantes a se conectarem ao mercado de trabalho.Melhorar a supervisão e a regulamentação para assegurar a prestação de contas das instituições por seus serviços. Ainda assim, o relatório conclui que a formação de capital humano qualificado não é suficiente por si só para aumentar a produtividade, o crescimento e a equidade. Também é preciso um ambiente em que as empresas possam criar bons empregos que, por sua vez, possam fazer uso produtivo de uma força de trabalho mais qualificada. — Saiba mais sobre o trabalho do Banco Mundial na América Latina e no Caribe: www.worldbank.org/lac Visite-nos no Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Atualize-se via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC Assista ao nosso canal no YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BancoMundialLAC

Incentives needed to bring education results in line with student and countries’ needs MEXICO CITY, May 17, 2017 – The number of students in higher education programs has nearly doubled in the past decade across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). But with only half of them graduating on time, there’s still a lot to do in terms of efficiency and quality, according to a new World Bank report: At a Crossroads: Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, released today. “Higher Education is key to boosting growth and reducing poverty and inequality,” said World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Jorge Familiar. “To ensure equity of opportunities, the region has to enhance quality of education and provide students with better information on programs, adequate incentives and financing options, and connections to the labor market. Better regulation of higher education institutions is also needed to improve accountability for the services they provide.” A good education plays an important role in improving income prospects.  In particular, the report finds that on average in LAC a student with a higher education degree will earn more than twice as much as a student with a high school diploma. In the region, the percentage of individuals ages 18 to 24 enrolled in higher education rose from 21 percent in 2000 to 40 percent in 2010. While unequal access still abounds, there has been substantial progress, particularly among low and middle-income groups. On average, the poorest 50 percent of the population only represented 16 percent of higher education students in 2000 but that rose to about 25 percent in 2013. At the same time, about a quarter of the higher education institutions (HEIs) that exist today were opened over that period –many of them by the private sector– lifting the market share of private HEIs from 43 to 50 percent between the early 2000s and 2013. And yet, of the top-500 HEIs in the world, the region has only about ten, a number only higher than Africa’s. “There has been a big expansion in higher education institutions and enrollment, particularly for low income students,” said the report’s lead author World Bank Senior Economist Maria Marta Ferreyra. “However, the results fall short of their potential, with only half of the students entering higher education receiving their degree by the time they are 25 to 29 years old either because they are still studying or because they have dropped out.” Some of the causes for a high dropout rate include academic unpreparedness, due in part to low quality education received in high school, and lack of financial means of low-income students. They may also include the long duration of some of the programs and lack of flexibility to switch between them –issues that are especially relevant now as more people tend to switch jobs and careers over a life time than ever before. Policies that can help address some of these problems include:Generating and disseminating information on institutions’ and programs’ performance so that students can make informed choices.Designing better funding systems in order to provide incentives for institutions and students to achieve good results, and remove financial barriers to higher education access through instruments such as scholarships, grants for living expenses, and student loans.Helping students connect to the labor market.Improving oversight and regulations to ensure the institutions’ accountability for their services. Still, the report concludes that forming skilled human capital is not enough on its own to raise productivity, growth and equity. There also needs to be an environment in which firms can create good jobs that, in turn, can make productive use of a more skilled labor force. — Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean: www.worldbank.org/lac   Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC   For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/BancoMundialLAC  

Following the successful completion of the Paraguay Biodiversity Project, (supported by Global Environment Facility) which has contributed to the preservation of one of the region’s largest biological corridors, the World Bank and the hydroelectric dam Itaipú Binacional signed  a technical cooperation agreement to continue working on conservation of the Atlantic Forest. Through a Reimbursable Advisory Services Agreement (RAS), the World Bank (WB) will provide technical assistance to Itaipú to support the conservation and restoration of the Atlantic Forest, which is home to unique species of fauna and flora. The presentation of the agreement was attended by Jorge Familiar, Vice President of the World Bank for the Latin American and Caribbean Region, who highlighted the natural wealth of Paraguay as a blessing that must be taken care of for future generations. "Natural resources have to be used to generate wealth and development, but in a sustainable way so that they generate benefits for future generations," he said. "It is very clear today that we cannot talk about development without sustainability," he added. Ruth Tiffer Sotomayor, Project Team Leader from the Environment Global Practice, explained that through this cooperation the WB will support a strategy of engaging Itaipú with the government, local communities and the private sector in the largest restoration and conservation effort for the Atlantic Forest Corridor. The project will improve connectivity of ecosystems by promoting better land use practices, supporting the livelihoods of local farmers and indigenous communities, advising on policy changes, strengthening institutions and putting in practice the Bank’s global knowledge on landscape and forest restoration. 

Challenge The economy of Latin America and the Caribbean countries has provided the means for an accelerated expansion of infrastructure construction in the region. In this context, promoting environmentally sustainable construction has become an essential element for achieving green growth. Sustainable infrastructure is fundamental for growth and inclusion, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as in Latin America and the Caribbean region. In these countries, a key to successfully developing environmentally sustainable infrastructure is sharing knowledge and experience among specialists and building their technical capacity. Furthermore, the need in the region for acquiring specific knowledge regarding the latest innovations and best practices on environmental sustainability in the construction industry, as well as strengthening capacities for their correct implementation, has become a priority. In the past years, the region has experienced a revolutionary technological advance, providing an ideal scenario for developing a web-based knowledge platform allowing easy and inclusive access to knowledge and experience exchange between concerned parties. The impact of increasing access to knowledge on best practices for sustainable construction activities will help support these countries in complying with international standards and will ensure that they reach their environmental and sustainability goals. Approach The objective of the grant for the project Knowledge Platform: Environmentally Sustainable Infrastructure Construction was to develop a bilingual (English and Spanish) web-based knowledge platform in Latin America and the Caribbean to enhance skills, knowledge, and capacity to perform construction in an environmentally sustainable manner. Principal objectives are to (i) increase the capacity to develop environmentally sustainable infrastructure projects, (ii) improve good practices and enhance project results and outcomes, (iii) provide a reliable source of information, and (iv) offer specialized knowledge services to technical specialists. This knowledge platform, known as KPESIC, encompasses within the term sustainable environmental management the sound management skills needed to mitigate negative environmental, social, and health and safety impacts and risks from infrastructure projects as well as the skills and approaches needed to improve positive impacts or benefits to achieve more sustainable projects. The focus is on infrastructure sectors of transport (roads, rail, ports, and airports), energy (generation, transmission, and distribution), water and sanitation (water supply and distribution and wastewater collection and treatment), and urban development. The intention behind the platform is to provide knowledge resources to technical specialists working at governmental agencies, construction companies, or universities who are charged with managing environment issues in infrastructure construction. KPESIC deals with the project construction phase but also with the planning, design, operation, and maintenance phases, all of which are crucial in establishing environmentally sustainable infrastructure. 

As Latin America and the Caribbean begins to emerge from six years of economic slowdown, including two of recession, it is essential to find ways to nurture and strengthen this budding recovery. Economic growth was the central factor behind the region’s striking social and economic achievements of the last decade, when Latin America cut extreme poverty by half, significantly reduced inequality, and greatly expanded the middle class. But we no longer enjoy the conditions that enabled all this. The drop in the prices of commodities and the slowdown in key economies, such as China, hit the region hard. In today’s very different scenario, it is crucial to rebuild the foundations for economic recovery. Infrastructure stands out as one of the main enablers to enhance productivity and sustainably boost our domestic growth engines. It is clear that Latin America and the Caribbean does not have the infrastructure it needs or deserves, and the accomplishments of the past decade make this contrast even starker. Low-quality roads keep people from jobs and public services and increase the costs of small farms and exporters alike, making them less able to compete. Over 100 million people, almost a fifth of the population, do not have access to improved sanitation, and two-thirds of sewage goes untreated, spreading disease and degrading our rivers. In 2012 alone, this caused Latin Americans to lose a combined 900,000 years of life because of disability, ill health or death. At the same time, much of our current infrastructure is not prepared for trends such as rapid urbanisation, or to face the extreme weather events associated with climate change, that result in tragic loss of life and massive rebuilding costs. The recent floods in Peru and Colombia caused over 300 deaths, and swept away more than 3,000 km of roads and almost 300 bridges in Peru alone, isolating scores of villages. The poor and vulnerable bear the brunt of these impacts. They are also the first to suffer when infrastructure is simply not present, having no option but to resort to costly alternatives such as water trucks and electrical generators. Traditionally, the region has tried to solve this by looking for more resources. There has long been talk about the investment gap in infrastructure — the difference between what we have and what is needed — with estimates around US$180 billion per year. However, this hides a very complex and varied reality across the region. While the region, as a whole, invests less than three per cent of GDP in infrastructure, compared to East Asia’s over seven per cent, some countries invest more than four per cent. In addition, significant increases in public investment are not realistic in today’s tight fiscal context. Two recent World Bank reports reveal that, rather than necessarily spending more, a lot can be done by spending better and by ensuring that the full potential of the private sector is tapped. The debate must shift from how much finance the region needs, and how to raise it, to what actually needs to be done, and finding the most efficient ways of achieving it. Addressing the inefficiencies will require interventions at the sectoral level as well as more systemic ones, including tackling lack of institutional capacity for planning, regulatory uncertainty, as well as budgeting and implementation issues.  

As Latin America adapts to the downturn in commodity prices, policymakers are turning to the surest path to sustainable, lasting growth: innovation. “When businesses innovate, productivity increases and economies become more competitive,” says Marialisa Motta, manager of the Trade and Competitiveness practice in Latin America and the Caribbean. Many Latin American countries have policies to encourage innovation, but most are less efficient or effective than they could be. The World Bank Group is helping governments take stock of their programs and improve them. The goal, says Senior Private Sector Specialist Alberto Criscuolo, is to see “what is the bang for the buck? Is the public expenditure on innovation consistent with the policy priorities on innovation? How effective are the programs on innovation? Are there overlaps between agencies and ministries? What can we learn from the implementation of existing programs?” These reviews of science, technology, and innovation spending are being done with World Bank Group support in Peru, Colombia, and Chile, among others. Often, Criscuolo says, there’s a “gap between what industry needs and what universities are researching. The two sides don’t talk to each other.” The World Bank Group assessments can help identify which areas of innovation are in high demand from industry, and encourage funding of that research.Evaluating the Mix In Chile, the World Bank Group evaluated the quality of the innovation and entrepreneurship policy mix and worked with two government agencies to identify good practices and weaknesses in design and implementation practices. The results were used to inform the current restructuring of innovation instruments. In Colombia, the World Bank Group evaluated more than 120 policy instruments, measuring the effectiveness of the policy mix, the degree of redundancies, and gaps. Now the Bank Group is helping the government design a national innovation strategy by recommending good practices on innovation instruments, such as better-defined tax incentives for research and development. “Fewer than 20 companies in the whole country were benefiting from the tax breaks, mostly large mineral or energy companies,” says Lead Economist Leonardo Iacovone, who worked on the Colombia assessment, after which the country changed its system. Iacovone is now co-leading a $600 million loan to Colombia, approved in March 2017, whose objectives include strengthening innovation policies.Management as Well as Technology Innovation is about management as much as technology, Iacovone points out. “A company that’s able to innovate is one that’s able to learn. The way you get organized and managed is crucial in the way you’re able to learn: Setting and monitoring targets. Linking human resources processes and incentives to targets. Getting feedback from workers on how to continuously improve.” In Brazil as well, there is much room to improve how firms are managed, says Lead Economist Mark Dutz. Surveys show that 18% of firms are very badly managed, compared to 11% in Mexico, 6% in China, and 2% in the United States, according to the World Management Survey. But technology is important too. Though some fear that adopting new technologies will kill jobs, Dutz says, “Technology adoption by firms can actually be inclusive, creating more and better jobs not just for highly skilled workers, but also lower-skilled workers – provided there is enough output expansion.” Traditionally, Latin American economies, particularly Brazil, have been relatively closed to foreign trade, giving companies little incentive to innovate and remain competitive in global markets – and leading to higher prices for consumers. But breaking down those barriers means that companies can expand beyond their traditional domestic markets. “They need to think of the world as their oyster,” Dutz says.

مع تكيف أمريكا اللاتينية مع هبوط أسعار السلع، يتجه صناع السياسات نحو أوثق السبل للنمو المستدام والمستمر وهو: الابتكار. تقول مارياليسا موتا، مدير قطاع الممارسات العالمية للتجارة والتنافسية بإدارة أمريكا اللاتينية والبحر الكاريبي، "عندما تبتكر أنشطة الأعمال، تزداد الإنتاجية ويصبح الاقتصاد أكثر قدرة على المنافسة."ولدى العديد من بلدان أمريكا اللاتينية سياسات تشجع على الابتكار، إلا أن أغلبها أقل كفاءة أو فعالية مما ينبغي أن تكون عليه. وتعمل مجموعة البنك الدولي على مساعدة الحكومات على تقييم برامجها وتحسينها.ويقول ألبرتو كريسكولو، الخبير الأول المتخصص في القطاع الخاص، إن الغاية هي "أن نرى القيمة المقابلة للدولار. هل الإنفاق العام على الابتكار يتسق مع أولويات السياسات بشأن الابتكار؟ ما مدى تأثير البرامج على الابتكار؟ هل هناك تداخل بين الهيئات والوزارات؟ ما الذي يمكن أن نتعلمه من تطبيق البرامج الحالية؟ هذه المراجعات للعلوم والتكنولوجيا والإنفاق على الابتكار تتم بدعم من مجموعة البنك الدولي في بيرو وكولومبيا وشيلي وبلدان أخرى.ويقول كريسكولو إن هناك "فجوة بين ما تحتاجه الصناعة وما تجريه الجامعات من بحوث. فكل منهما يعمل في واد آخر." تقييمات البنك الدولي يمكن أن تساعد في تحديد مجالات الابتكار التي تحتاجها الصناعة أكثر، وأن تشجع على تمويل البحوث المتصلة بها.تقييم المزيجوفي شيلي، قيمت مجموعة البنك الدولي مستوى جودة مزيج سياسات الابتكار والعمل الحر وعملت مع اثنتين من الهيئات الحكومية لرصد الممارسات الجيدة ومواطن الضعف في التصميم وفي ممارسات التطبيق. واستخدمت النتائج لتنوير عملية إعادة الهيكلة الحالية لأدوات الابتكار.وفي كولومبيا، قيمت مجموعة البنك الدولي أكثر من 120 أداة للسياسات، حيث قامت بقياس فعالية مزيج السياسات، ومدى تكرارها والفجوات بينها. والآن، تساعد مجموعة البنك الدولي الحكومة على تصميم استراتيجية وطنية للابتكار من خلال التوصية بانتهاج ممارسات جيدة تتعلق بأدوات الابتكار، مثل منح حوافز واضحة بشكل أفضل للبحوث والتطوير. والآن، تساعد المجموعة الحكومة على تصميم استراتيجية وطنية للابتكار بالتوصية بانتهاج ممارسات جيدة تتعلق بأدوات الابتكار، مثل منح حوافز أكثر وضوحا للبحوث والتطوير.ويقول الخبير الاقتصادي الأول ليوناردو ياكوفوني، الذي شارك في وضع التقييم الخاص بكولومبيا الذي غيرت البلاد نظامها الضريبي بعده، "لم يتجاوز عدد الشركات التي استفادت من الإعفاءات الضريبية في القطر كله العشرين شركة، أغلبها الشركات الكبرى في قطاعي التعدين والطاقة ."ويشارك ياكوفوني حاليا في جهود تقديم قرض قدره 600 مليون دولار لكولومبيا، تم إقراره في مارس آذار، من بين أهدافه تعزيز سياسات الابتكار.الإدارة والتكنولوجياويوضح ياكوفوني أن الابتكار أمر يتعلق بالإدارة بقدر ما يتعلق بالتكنولوجيا. "فالشركة التي تستطيع الابتكار هي أيضا تستطيع التعلم. والطريقة التي تنظم بها حياتك وتديرها مهمة للأسلوب الذي تتعلم به: أي تحديد الأهداف ومتابعتها. ربط عمليات الموارد البشرية والحوافز بالأهداف. وتلقي آراء العاملين عن كيفية مواصلة التحسين."ويقول مارك كروتس، الأخصائي الاقتصادي الأول، في البرازيل أيضا هناك مساحة كافية لتحسين أسلوب إدارة الشركات. وتظهر المسوح أن 18% من الشركات تدار بطريقة سيئة للغاية، مقابل 11% من الشركات في المكسيك، و% في الصين، و2% في الولايات المتحدة، وفقا للمسح العالمي للإدارات.بيد أن التكنولوجيا مهمة أيضا. ويقول دوتس إنه رغم خشية البعض من أن تبني تكنولوجيات جديدة سيؤدي إلى قتل الوظائف، "فإن تبني الشركات للتكنولوجيا يمكن في الحقيقة أن يكون اشتماليا، حيث يجلب وظائف أكثر وأفضل، ليس فقط للعمال ذوي المهارات العالية، بل أيضا للعمالة الأقل مهارة- شريطة أن يكون هناك زيادة كافية في الإنتاج."وقد اعتادت بلدان أمريكا اللاتينية، خاصة البرازيل، أن تكون مغلقة نسبيا أمام التجارة الخارجية، حيث لا تقدم للشركات إلا القليل مما يحفز على الابتكار والصمود أمام المنافسة في الأسواق العالمية- مما أدى إلى ارتفاع الأسعار على المستهلكين. إلا أن تحطيم تلك الحواجز يعني أن الشركات يمكنها أن توسع نشاطها ليمتد إلى ما وراء أسواقنا المحلية التقليدية. يقول دوتس، "عليهم أن يفكروا في العالم كقوقعة لهم."

Mientras América Latina se adapta a la caída de los precios de los productos básicos, los responsables de formular políticas recurren al camino más seguro para el crecimiento sostenible y duradero: la innovación. “Cuando las empresas innovan, la productividad aumenta y las economías se vuelven más competitivas”, dijo Marialisa Motta, gerente de Prácticas Mundiales de Comercio y Competitividad en la región de América Latina y el Caribe del Grupo Banco Mundial. Muchos países latinoamericanos tienen políticas para fomentar la innovación, pero la mayoría de ellos no son lo bastante eficientes o eficaces en este ámbito. Por ello, el Grupo Banco Mundial ayuda a los Gobiernos a evaluar y a mejorar sus programas en materia de innovación. De acuerdo a Alberto Criscuolo, especialista superior en Desarrollo del Sector Privado, el objetivo es analizar “cómo sacar provecho a los recursos; si el gasto público en innovación concuerda o no con las prioridades normativas en materia de innovación; qué tan eficaces son los programas de innovación; si los organismos y ministerios se superponen o no, y qué podemos aprender de la implementación de los programas existentes”. Estos exámenes del gasto público en ciencia, tecnología e innovación (i) se realizan con el apoyo del Grupo Banco Mundial en Perú, Colombia, Chile y otros países. Suele existir una “brecha entre lo que la industria necesita y lo que las universidades están investigando”, dijo Criscuolo. “Ambas partes no se comunican entre sí”. Las evaluaciones del Grupo Banco Mundial pueden ayudar a determinar qué tipos de innovación tienen una alta demanda en la industria y fomentar la entrega de financiamiento para realizar investigación en esos campos. Evaluar la combinación de programas y políticas En Chile, el Grupo Banco Mundial evaluó la calidad de los programas de fomento de la innovación y de las políticas sobre iniciativa empresarial, y colaboró con dos organismos gubernamentales para identificar las buenas prácticas y las deficiencias en el diseño y la implementación de los programas. Sobre la base de los resultados obtenidos, se lleva cabo actualmente una reestructuración de los instrumentos en materia de innovación. En Colombia, el Grupo Banco Mundial evaluó más de 120 instrumentos normativos, examinando la eficacia de la combinación de políticas, el grado de redundancias y las brechas. En la actualidad, ayuda al Gobierno a diseñar una estrategia nacional de innovación recomendando buenas prácticas con respecto a los instrumentos de fomento, tales como incentivos fiscales mejor definidos para la investigación y el desarrollo. “Menos de 20 empresas en todo el país se beneficiaron de las exenciones fiscales, y en su mayoría fueron grandes empresas mineras o de energía”, dijo Leonardo Iacovone, economista principal, que participó en la evaluación de Colombia, después de la cual el país cambió su sistema. Iacovone ahora cogestiona un préstamo de USD 600 millones para Colombia, aprobado en marzo de 2017, que tiene entre sus objetivos fortalecer las políticas de innovación. Gestión y tecnología La innovación se refiere tanto a la gestión como a la tecnología, señaló Iacovone. “Una empresa que innova es una empresa que también es capaz de aprender. Los métodos de organización y gestión son cruciales para aprender: fijar y supervisar los objetivos; vincular los procedimientos de recursos humanos y los incentivos con las metas, y obtener la opinión de los trabajadores acerca de cómo seguir mejorando”. También en Brasil (i) hay mucho que mejorar en cuanto a la gestión de las empresas, dijo Mark Dutz, economista principal. Según la base de datos World Management Survey, (i) las encuestas indican que el 18 % de las empresas está muy mal gestionada, en comparación con el 11 % en México, el 6 % en China y el 2 % en Estados Unidos. Pero la tecnología también es importante. Si bien existe temor que las nuevas tecnologías eliminarán ciertos empleos, Dutz señaló que “el proceso de adopción de tecnologías por las empresas puede ser inclusivo, creando más y mejores empleos no solo para los trabajadores altamente calificados, sino también para los trabajadores menos calificados, siempre y cuando el aumento de la producción sea suficiente”. Tradicionalmente, las economías latinoamericanas, en particular Brasil, han estado en cierta medida cerradas al comercio exterior, brindando pocos incentivos a las empresas para innovar y seguir siendo competitivas en los mercados mundiales, y dando lugar a precios más elevados para los consumidores. Pero eliminar esas barreras significa que las empresas pueden expandirse más allá de sus mercados internos tradicionales. “Deben pensar que el mundo está a sus pies”, sostuvo Dutz.

“My son, the doctor.” “My daughter, the architect.” These typical expressions of parents reveal the pride of those who, having not been able to attend college themselves, have always dreamed that their children would take the path to higher education. But in a world facing new challenges such as automation, demands for new skills and a changing political scene, careers traditionally considered the most successful have been dethroned by those more in line with current needs.   In Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to parents’ aspirations, different public policies and a growing middle class have led many more young people to the university classroom over the past decade. The numbers confirm this trend. People aged 18 to 24 attending an institution of higher learning rose from 21% in 2000 to 43% in 2013. Many of these students came from lower- and lower middle-class families, something not seen in previous years. Today there are more than 20 million students attending over 10,000 institutions of higher learning that offer more than 60,000 programs. Not bad compared with other regions, where attending college or an institution of higher learning is a luxury reserved for a privileged few. Today, however, higher education is at a crossroads. Its rapid expansion, the characteristics of the “new” students and lax regulations have led many to question the quality of higher education programs. Millions of students may enter these institutions’ classrooms, but not all of them have access to quality options. Not only do they fail to offer an attractive study plan that keeps students enrolled until they graduate; they also do not prepare students to face the demands of today’s labor market. It is estimated that just half of students who enroll in higher education graduate. Rankings, which are frequently used as indicators of the quality of higher education, are not in Latin America’s favor. Among the 500 best institutions of higher education, just 10 are in the region. Africa is the only region with fewer on the list. A new World Bank report examines three key aspects of higher education in the region: quality, variety and equity. A good higher education system offers quality programs that maximize students’ potential. A varied supply enables students to find their best option: training not only the physicians a hospital needs, but also the nurses and administrative assistants. Given that the mere availability of variety and quality does not guarantee student access or success, a higher education system requires equity to ensure that all students have equal opportunity access. Equity frequently starts early. Not all young people and their families have the information or the resources necessary to make informed decisions with respect to career choices. Often, their selection is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and making a mistake can mean the end of a career: transferring to another program is onerous and bureaucratic. Despite the obstacles they face, lower-income students represent 45% of the increase in enrollment in recent years. Nevertheless, these “new” students come from families with few resources and may not be academically prepared to face the challenges of higher education, which frequently explains the lack of completion of higher education programs. On average, half of enrolled students aged 25 to 29 had not completed their studies, either because they dropped out or because they were still studying. Of those who dropped out, half were in their first year of school. The system does not help. Degree programs are long and tedious. It is estimated that students in Latin America and the Caribbean require 36% more time to complete their degrees as compared with the rest of the world. This means that they are students for longer. Consequently, during their years of study, they earn the wages of secondary-school graduates. Excessive time has another sharp edge: students often need to work to complete their studies but end up dropping out because they are overwhelmed by their work responsibilities and cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. Given the region’s urgent need to improve productivity in a context of slow growth, training human capital in a rapid, efficient way is crucial. According to the World Bank report, public policymakers should consider the fact that access does not imply completion and quality. The report also recommends multidimensional policies to evaluate the quality of program content, as well as to support students who are not academically prepared for higher education. Additionally, policies should offer incentives to both universities and students to encourage program completion.

São necessários incentivos para alinhar resultados às necessidades de estudantes e países CIDADE DO MÉXICO, 17 de maio de 2017 – O número de estudantes em programas de ensino superior quase dobrou na última década na América Latina e no Caribe (ALC). Contudo, apenas a metade deles se forma no período normal, o que indica que ainda há muito a fazer em termos de eficiência e qualidade, revela um novo relatório do Banco Mundial: Em uma encruzilhada: O Ensino superior na América Latina e no Caribe, divulgado hoje. "O ensino superior é fundamental para impulsionar o crescimento e reduzir a pobreza e a desigualdade", disse o Vice-Presidente do Banco Mundial para a América Latina e o Caribe, Jorge Familiar. "Para garantir a igualdade de oportunidades, a região tem que melhorar a qualidade da educação e proporcionar aos alunos melhores informações sobre cursos, incentivos e opções de financiamento adequados e conexões com o mercado de trabalho. Também é necessária uma melhor regulamentação das instituições de ensino superior para melhorar a prestação de contas pelos serviços que prestam". Uma boa educação desempenha um papel importante na melhoria das perspectivas de renda. Em particular, o relatório conclui que, em média, na ALC, um estudante com grau de educação superior vai ganhar mais do dobro do que um aluno com um diploma do ensino médio. Na região, o percentual de indivíduos entre 18 e 24 anos de idade matriculados no ensino superior aumentou de 21% em 2000 para 40% em 2010. Embora o acesso ainda seja desigual, houve progressos substanciais, particularmente entre os grupos de baixa e média renda. Em média, os 50% mais pobres da população representavam apenas 16% dos estudantes do ensino superior em 2000, mas esta proporção aumentou para cerca de 25% em 2013. Ao mesmo tempo, cerca de um quarto das instituições de ensino superior (IES) que existem hoje foram abertas durante esse período – muitas delas pelo setor privado – o que elevou a participação de IES privadas no mercado de 43% para 50% entre o início dos anos 2000 e 2013. Contudo, a região tem apenas cerca de dez IES entre as 500 melhores instituições de ensino superior do mundo, um número superior apenas ao da África. "Houve uma grande expansão das instituições de ensino superior e das matrículas, especialmente entre os estudantes de baixa renda", disse Maria Marta Ferreyra, principal autora do relatório e economista sênior do Banco Mundial. "No entanto, os resultados estão aquém do potencial, e apenas a metade dos estudantes recebe o seu diploma superior entre os 25-29 anos de idade, quer porque ainda estão estudando ou por desistência”. Entre as causas das altas taxas de desistência estão o despreparo acadêmico, devido em parte à baixa qualidade da educação média, e a falta de recursos financeiros de estudantes de baixa renda. Outras causas podem incluir a longa duração de alguns dos cursos e a falta de flexibilidade para transferências entre eles – questões que são especialmente relevantes hoje em dia, quando mais pessoas do que nunca mudam de emprego e de carreira ao longo da vida. Entre as medidas que podem ajudar a resolver alguns desses problemas estão:Gerar e divulgar informações sobre o desempenho das instituições e dos cursos, para que os alunos possam fazer escolhas informadas.Conceber melhores sistemas de financiamento para proporcionar incentivos para que as instituições e os estudantes obtenham bons resultados, e eliminar as barreiras financeiras ao acesso ao ensino superior através de instrumentos como bolsas de estudo, ajudas-de-custo e empréstimos estudantis.Ajudar os estudantes a se conectarem ao mercado de trabalho.Melhorar a supervisão e a regulamentação para assegurar a prestação de contas das instituições por seus serviços. Ainda assim, o relatório conclui que a formação de capital humano qualificado não é suficiente por si só para aumentar a produtividade, o crescimento e a equidade. Também é preciso um ambiente em que as empresas possam criar bons empregos que, por sua vez, possam fazer uso produtivo de uma força de trabalho mais qualificada. — Saiba mais sobre o trabalho do Banco Mundial na América Latina e no Caribe: www.worldbank.org/lac Visite-nos no Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Atualize-se via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC Assista ao nosso canal no YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BancoMundialLAC

Incentives needed to bring education results in line with student and countries’ needs MEXICO CITY, May 17, 2017 – The number of students in higher education programs has nearly doubled in the past decade across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). But with only half of them graduating on time, there’s still a lot to do in terms of efficiency and quality, according to a new World Bank report: At a Crossroads: Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, released today. “Higher Education is key to boosting growth and reducing poverty and inequality,” said World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Jorge Familiar. “To ensure equity of opportunities, the region has to enhance quality of education and provide students with better information on programs, adequate incentives and financing options, and connections to the labor market. Better regulation of higher education institutions is also needed to improve accountability for the services they provide.” A good education plays an important role in improving income prospects.  In particular, the report finds that on average in LAC a student with a higher education degree will earn more than twice as much as a student with a high school diploma. In the region, the percentage of individuals ages 18 to 24 enrolled in higher education rose from 21 percent in 2000 to 40 percent in 2010. While unequal access still abounds, there has been substantial progress, particularly among low and middle-income groups. On average, the poorest 50 percent of the population only represented 16 percent of higher education students in 2000 but that rose to about 25 percent in 2013. At the same time, about a quarter of the higher education institutions (HEIs) that exist today were opened over that period –many of them by the private sector– lifting the market share of private HEIs from 43 to 50 percent between the early 2000s and 2013. And yet, of the top-500 HEIs in the world, the region has only about ten, a number only higher than Africa’s. “There has been a big expansion in higher education institutions and enrollment, particularly for low income students,” said the report’s lead author World Bank Senior Economist Maria Marta Ferreyra. “However, the results fall short of their potential, with only half of the students entering higher education receiving their degree by the time they are 25 to 29 years old either because they are still studying or because they have dropped out.” Some of the causes for a high dropout rate include academic unpreparedness, due in part to low quality education received in high school, and lack of financial means of low-income students. They may also include the long duration of some of the programs and lack of flexibility to switch between them –issues that are especially relevant now as more people tend to switch jobs and careers over a life time than ever before. Policies that can help address some of these problems include:Generating and disseminating information on institutions’ and programs’ performance so that students can make informed choices.Designing better funding systems in order to provide incentives for institutions and students to achieve good results, and remove financial barriers to higher education access through instruments such as scholarships, grants for living expenses, and student loans.Helping students connect to the labor market.Improving oversight and regulations to ensure the institutions’ accountability for their services. Still, the report concludes that forming skilled human capital is not enough on its own to raise productivity, growth and equity. There also needs to be an environment in which firms can create good jobs that, in turn, can make productive use of a more skilled labor force. — Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean: www.worldbank.org/lac   Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC   For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/BancoMundialLAC  

Se necesitan incentivos para que los resultados educativos se adecúen a las necesidades de estudiantes y países CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, 17 de mayo de 2017 – El número de estudiantes de programas de educación superior prácticamente se duplicó …