American Expatriate Costa Rica

Universities fail to meet the needs of Costa Rica

In 2011, over 20% of academic opportunities were in education. In the photo, the teacher Shirley Duran. | FILE / MARCELA BERTOZZI

According to a review of state funded education, the country’s labor market has changed substantially in recent decades, and academic offerings have failed to respond to these needs. Cited as an example, in 2011 a total of 20 percent of academic opportunities were in the field of education and just 10 percent in engineering.

The gap between what is actually in demand and what is offered in higher education is a problem because young people do not normally consider job opportunities before choosing their career path. The report says the country needs less graduates in social sciences and education and more in engineering.

Original Article in La Nacion