View metadata

dc.titleSkills to Shape the Future: Employability in Belize
dc.contributor.authorNäslund-Hadley, Emma
dc.contributor.authorNavarro-Palau, Patricia
dc.contributor.authorPrada, María Fernanda
dc.contributor.orgunitEducation Division
dc.coverageBelize
dc.date.available2020-01-16T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2020-01-16T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractThis study yields new insights on the changing landscape of Belize's economy and the challenges of equipping students and workers with the skills they need to thrive in an evolving labor market. Using census and labor force data, we show that Belize's economy is transitioning toward services and away from agriculture, manufacturing, and construction. We find that the country has potential for workforce development in a range of soft and digital skills that are in high demand in various sectors. We also show that women constitute an untapped resource for economic growth, especially given Belize's growing need for an educated workforce and women's higher education attainment. Using a survey of employers and training institutions, we document a skills mismatch between employers' needs and workers skills. Finally, we propose five principles that could guide education and employment policies to help close the skills gap.
dc.format.extent58
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0002143
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Skills_to_Shape_the_Future_Employability_in_Belize_en.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectFemale Employment
dc.subjectEducation Policy
dc.subjectWorkforce and Employment
dc.subjectLabor Market
dc.subjectSkills
dc.subject.jelcodeJ24 - Human Capital • Skills • Occupational Choice • Labor Productivity
dc.subject.jelcodeO54 - Latin America • Caribbean
dc.subject.jelcodeJ21 - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
dc.subject.jelcodeJ71 - Discrimination
dc.subject.jelcodeJ62 - Job, Occupational, and Intergenerational Mobility
dc.subject.jelcodeJ70 - Labor Discrimination: General
dc.subject.jelcodeJ23 - Labor Demand
dc.subject.jelcodeJ20 - Demand and Supply of Labor: General
dc.subject.jelcodeJ60 - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers: General
dc.subject.jelcodeJ30 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: General
dc.subject.keywordsskills; employability; education and labor market; skills mismatch; STEM
dc.typeTechnical Notes
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-TN-01837
idb.operationBL-L1030
Return to Publication