Political Outlook & Reform in Guatemala
Reforms are deeply necessary in Guatemala but the path forward is neither easy nor simple.
This post is also available in: Español
English proficiency is becoming increasingly important in the workplace and can significantly impact the job opportunities and professional growth of today's workers. Surveys and studies conducted with employers throughout Latin America often included English as one of the most important and in-demand skills. Teaching English at the primary and secondary levels has expanded significantly in recent decades, and the Ministry of Education of Guatemala requires it in its curricula, establishing standards for learning. What has not been widely analyzed is English learning with the objective of preparing young people to enter the labor market.
In the following report, Empresarios por la Educación, in collaboration with Guatemala No Se Detiene, AGEXPORT, Pearson, and the Inter-American Dialogue, provide new evidence and information on English language teaching and learning for employment in Guatemala. Examining national-level efforts to strengthen language policy, the report a deeper analysis of English for employment, focusing on preparing students in technical and vocational programs to enter the workforce with the necessary language skills. The study does not analyze the situation simply from the supply side of training programs, but also the demand side through an analysis focused on the BPO sector and other economic sectors that hire human talent with English language proficiency.
Reforms are deeply necessary in Guatemala but the path forward is neither easy nor simple.
This post is also available in: SpanishCONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY AS SUBMITTED FOR RECORD AND DELIVERED BEFORE A FULL COMMITTEE HEARING OF THE US SENATE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS. Over the past five years, slightly over 100,000 unaccompanied migrant children from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have been apprehended at the…
This post is also available in: SpanishIn the last 10 years Guatemala has made great advances. The consolidation of the democratic system and the signing of the peace process have created a more favorable climate for education. However, there are still social and economic development problems. Guatemala is a country…