Master of Ceremonies, Matilde de los Milagros.

Welcome remarks by Ilan Goldfajn, IDB President, and Demetrios Marantis, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, JP Morgan.

This fireside chat explores what education’s roles are and should be at the intersection between foundational skills and 21st century skills. To meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and help prepare young people better navigate challenges in the 21st century, these experts will explore how education systems can prioritize and find a right balance between foundational skills, 21st century skills, and skills for jobs, and ultimately transform education.

Foundational skills are building blocks to other skills. Humans need to learn literacy and numeracy skills to reach more advanced skills. This section focuses on foundational literacy and numeracy skills, discussing with experts how to better teach them using cutting-edge technology, assess these skills, compare the results across education systems, and close the learning gaps.

This keynote will call to raise awareness about the role of a youth skills in a sustainable society and the importance of mobilizing multi-stakeholder partnerships and investment to design and implement policies that positively impact young people in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This panel focusses on the importance of 21st century skills, or skills for life, through a conversation with experts in the field about how we can teach, evaluate, and incorporate these skills into the education systems along with foundational skills. LAC countries have made sustained but heterogeneous progress toward incorporating 21st century skills into their curriculums, particularly focusing on digital, socioemotional, and civic skills. The role of education should incorporate human well-being and health, beyond preparing students for work and the labor market.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the skills gap and the education-workforce mismatch have been critical issues. This section explores how education systems and non-traditional actors are attempting to close the gap. Preparing students for relevant job skills for future employment is a key challenge.

By Invitation Only