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The world of work is changing. Digitalisation, automation and globalisation are having a profound impact on the type and quality of jobs that are available and the skills required to perform them. The extent to which individuals, firms and economies can reap the benefits of these changes will depend critically on the ability of individuals to maintain and acquire relevant skills and adapt to a changing labour market over their working careers.
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Labour markets in Latin American countries have been hit hard by the COVID‑19 pandemic. Working hours dropped by 16% during 2020, and low-skilled adults are among those most affected by rising unemployment. The crisis is likely to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies in the region. Without adequate support to individuals, these changes could durably worsen labour market outcomes in Latin American countries, where income inequality is already among the highest in the world and rates of unemployment and informality are high.
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A year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Latin American countries have experienced economic disruption and struggling labour markets. Even prior to the crisis, skills demand had been changing due to digitalisation, globalisation, population ageing and the transition to low-carbon economies. This chapter provides a brief overview of the labour market context in Latin America and suggests an increasingly important role for career guidance for adults.
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A major challenge in most countries is to ensure that all adults have access to information and guidance to make informed career and training decisions. In Latin America, unemployed adults in particular use career guidance much less than those who are employed, despite having a greater need for support. This chapter presents survey findings on the use and inclusiveness of career guidance among adults in Latin America, the motivation for using career guidance, as well as the barriers to doing so. It describes the role of online career guidance platforms as well as more informal channels of career support, such as speaking with family and friends.
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Who do adults turn to for career guidance? The landscape of service providers in Latin America is diverse and includes private providers, education and training institutions, employers as well as public providers. This chapter maps the various providers, giving an overview of their characteristics and target groups. Drawing from survey evidence, it describes which channels are used to deliver career guidance (such as face-to-face, online, by telephone or instant messaging) and how adults learn about existing services. Finally, the chapter analyses how career guidance provision has changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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What distinguishes high-quality career guidance services and how can the current provision of these services in Latin American countries be improved? This chapter analyses survey evidence of adults’ satisfaction with available services as well as the perceived training and employment outcomes of career guidance. It then reviews approaches to raise the quality of services, including using high-quality labour market information, tailoring services to adults’ needs, standardising staff training and qualifications, certifying career guidance providers and monitoring outcomes.
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Ministries, public bodies, local governments and the social partners share responsibilities for adult career guidance policy in Latin America. Where strong coordination mechanisms are in place, they facilitate policy development as well as the provision of high-quality services. This chapter sketches how the actors governing career guidance in Latin America coordinate with one another. It also discusses how costs for career guidance are divided between government, employers and adults. It suggests ways to reduce the cost of career guidance services for those individuals who cannot afford them.
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