English for Employment in Mexico: Realities and Challenges

This post is also available in: Español 

Despite Mexico's progress between 2009 and 2018 in structuring and consolidating its policy framework for learning and teaching English, the country and the education system have not made progress in their goals of having citizens who communicate in English at the expected levels. The low level of students at the end of their secondary, upper secondary, and higher education concerns many, especially employers, who do not necessarily find the human talent they need with the required English skills. We are pleased to share the report English for Employment in Mexico: Realities and Challenges, with which we want to contribute to the discussions and advances on the subject in question.

Section I of the study begins by presenting the regulatory framework, the goals, the degree requirements, the teacher's profile, the nature of the English curricula and its relevance to the world of work, the teaching methodologies, the levels of English that developed by students of upper secondary and higher education. Section II addresses the issue from the perspective of the English required to function in the labor market. Finally, Section III of the recommendations translates the findings of the entire study into possible mutually complementary paths, which could be implemented from different areas and scenarios of upper secondary and higher education and training for work in coordination with the labor market.

Key recommendations:

1. Articulate the policy for learning English to connect basic, upper secondary, and higher education with the economic needs and the productive vocation of the country and the regions.
2. Structuring training portfolios and study plans that favor a model for developing English skills for employment.
3. Generate optimal conditions to hire permanent teachers from the plant and train them to teach English oriented towards the demands of the labor market.
4. Promote English in upper secondary and higher education with the English for Employment technical committee.
5. Create incentives for professional training programs focused on English.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT (IN SPANISH) HERE: