In Panama, the gap between demand and supply of employment, both in quantity and quality, is expanding at the same pace as the growing list of infrastructure projects in execution, which is increasing the arrival of multinational companies, saturating hotels with the number of business travelers and tourists.
The canal country's educational system, at all levels, has about a 30 year delay, and Panamanians who gain professional degrees generally lack a good command of English, and are unfamiliar with technological equipment.
However, surveys indicate that 72% of Panamanians are satisfied with the national public education system, compared with 70% of Japanese, 67% of Americans and 66% of Germans. The reality is that 36% of Panamanians aged between 12 and 17 are not enrolled in any baccalaureate degree. For those enrolled it takes an average of 9.8 years to complete six years of secondary education.
An analysis of this issue in Martesfinanciero.com reveals the many facets of the problem, and indicates the good opportunities that may arise for the education industry in Panama.
Source: martesfinanciero.com
More on this topic
March 2011
The Panamanian economy continues to grow, demanding more and more professional and technical staff, which the local job market fails to satisfy.
Companies are failing to fill their vacancies, as they lack candidates with the required skills and experience. This situation, far from being resolved, is getting worse, as more transnational companies open office in the country, increasing the demand for skilled workers.
November 2010
Employers indicate greater difficulty in finding skilled labor.
According to a study by Manpower, 36% of surveyed employers revealed difficulties this year in getting qualified employees, while in 2009 the figure was 20%.
"The immediate problem is not the number of potential candidates, but rather the shortage of talent, because not enough people are sufficiently qualified," Prensalibre.com published.
December 2011
The Net Employment Outlook for the first three months of 2012 is +24%, putting more pressure on a market with a serious shortage of qualified human resources.
While efforts are being made to the train people locally, foreigners continue to come into the country to meet the demand of international companies based there.
September 2011
A lack of qualified personnel, an aging population and legal obstacles preventing the hiring of foreigners are impacting on the competitiveness of businesses.
The problem, faced by all economic sectors alike, is causing an overall increase in wage levels.
"Just a few years ago, the list of professionals who were difficult to recruit in the labor market focused on bilingual accountants, civil engineers, logistics specialists and high-profile managers, eventually others have been added to that list such as domestic workers, sales executives, beauty technicians and foremen", reported Prensa.com.
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