OIT - Lifelong learning and skills for the future - Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean

 ILO Brief 1

 Regional Research Brief May 2026 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean

 Structural transformations increase the importance of lifelong learning in the region, particularly in light of persistent decent work deficits. Yet many workers lack access to quality learning. The situation is better for workers in formal firms, pointing to stark inequalities linked to formality status and educational attainment.  Online vacancy data analysis from Brazil and Uruguay shows that employers demand rounded skills profiles, and that these are associated with improved working conditions. While important, focusing solely on technical skills, including AI and green skills, is not sufficient. Foundational cognitive and socio-emotional skills remain essential.  Whether the green transformation and digital change create decent jobs depends on available workforce skills and skills development. Improved infrastructure and supporting industrial and employment policies are also required.  The region is ageing rapidly. While this increases care needs, paid care workers often face unfavourable working conditions. Adequate recognition, valuation and remuneration of workers’ skills are important, especially in sectors creating social value.  New institutional data from Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Mexico suggests that these countries share a comprehensive understanding of lifelong learning. At the same time, in many countries lifelong learning systems do not meet ambitious goals, with sustainable financing representing a central issue.  Rigorous evaluations from the region show that welldesigned skills programmes improve labour market outcomes, especially for women. Holistic approaches that lead to recognized qualifications and develop rounded skills profiles often have better results.

 Lifelong learning and changing skills demand as a strategic policy priority Lifelong learning can empower individuals, strengthen enterprises and enable full participation in economic and social life. It has the potential to contribute not only to innovation, productivity, and sustainable growth, but also

 Lifelong learning and changing skills demand as a strategic policy priority Lifelong learning can empower individuals, strengthen enterprises and enable full participation in economic and social life. It has the potential to contribute not only to innovation, productivity, and sustainable growth, but also to decent work, inclusion, active citizenship, and social cohesion. As major labour market transformations are changing skills requirements in Latin America and the Caribbean , as in other regions, lifelong learning is gaining importance. These transformations include rapid technological innovation, such as the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), and a move towards greener economies. The region’s population is also ageing rapidly, placing increased Key points ILO Brief 2 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean demands on an older workforce, expanding care needs and putting pressure on social security systems. These labour market transformations interact with longstanding decent work issues related to high levels of informality and labour market inequalities across gender, age, and rural versus urban areas. In micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and own -account work – which together account for most of the employment in the region – informality, low productivity, and low employment quality regularly converge. As such, there is a possibility that current labour market transformations will widen existing i nequalities with negative consequences for economies and societies. These developments make lifelong learning – and the development of cohesive systems supporting lifelong learning - a policy priority for fostering resilience and inclusion for workers and enterprises in the region . At the same time, a systemic approach to lifelong learning goes beyond the situation of individual workers and enterprises, serving broad economic, social, and civic objectives ( see Box 1 for the report’s definition of lifelong learning and core principles of the underlying concepts). This brief draws from the ILO’s 2026 World of Work Report on Lifelong Learning and Skills for the Future , summarizing report findings of particular relevance for Latin America

Box 1 for the report’s definition of lifelong learning and core principles of the underlying concepts). This brief draws from the ILO’s 2026 World of Work Report on Lifelong Learning and Skills for the Future , summarizing report findings of particular relevance for Latin America and the Caribbean. The global report is organized in three parts, developing a holistic vision of lifelong learning and measuring gaps in access to quality learning in Part 1, using big data analytics to study changing skills demand in the context of labour market transformations in Part 2, and explaining the building blocks of succes sful lifelong learning systems and drawing from institutional data and impact assessments in Part 3. Further information is provided on the report’s interactive web -portal: https://www.ilo.org/lifelong-learning-and-skills-future. The brief starts by discussing major regional future-of-work trends and decent work issues, which make skills development and lifelong learning a policy priority. The brief then presents findings on lifelong learning access, highlighting gaps and inequalities and a need for more granular data collection. This is followed by a discussion of in-demand skills, based on big data analytics from Brazil and Uruguay. Next, the building blocks for cohesive lifelong learning systems are described and benchmarked agai nst countries’ realities, drawing from an ILO institutional survey, which was conducted in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and from a meta-analysis of training and skills programmes, many of which refer to the region. The final section presents policy conclusions.  Box 1: Definition and core pri nciples of lifelong learning adopted by the World of Work Report Drawing on the Hu man Resources Convention, 1975 (No.142), the report uses the following definition: “Lifelong learning refers to all learning activities undertaken throughout life, individually or collectively, whether in educational, work, family or other social contexts. It aims at developing knowledge, skills and attitudes or behaviours conducive to le arning, irrespective of whether they lead to formal certification

“Lifelong learning refers to all learning activities undertaken throughout life, individually or collectively, whether in educational, work, family or other social contexts. It aims at developing knowledge, skills and attitudes or behaviours conducive to le arning, irrespective of whether they lead to formal certification outcomes.” Lifelong learning operates across three interrelated dimensions: education and schooling; learning in the world of work; and broader societal learning in communities, families and civil society. The report recognizes that people acquire and apply skills in many settings throughout the life course . This is not confined to structured learning associated with qualifications and certificates. Effective lifelong learning systems require inclusive and flexible access to learning opportunities and relevance to changing skills needs . They also require holistic approaches, linking education and training with complementary labour market policies, and broader industrial and employment policies. Achieving this vision requires a systemic and coordinated approach, with collaboration among governments, employers ’ and workers’ organizations and education providers, aligning learning opportunities, policies and support systems.

 Future-of-work trends and decent work issues in the region Despite improvements, informality remains high when benchmarked against the region’s level of economic development, averaging around 47 per cent. There is ILO Brief 3 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean substantial heterogeneity across countries , with informality rates ranging from 22 per cent in Uruguay to 53 per cent in the Dominican Republic and over 80 per cent in Bolivia (ILO 2025) . Informality also varies widely across economic sectors within countries , with a griculture and construction consistently exhibiting the highest rates (ILO and FAO 2025) . In urban areas, the expansion of platform work has contributed to the growth of employment arrangements that are frequently informal (Cravo 2025). Informality negatively influences workers’ abilities to

construction consistently exhibiting the highest rates (ILO and FAO 2025) . In urban areas, the expansion of platform work has contributed to the growth of employment arrangements that are frequently informal (Cravo 2025). Informality negatively influences workers’ abilities to participate in quality education, training, and skills development. Related to this, MSMEs, which dominate the informal sector, face multiple barriers to providing training. These include lack of financial resources, limited organizational capacity, and low awareness and relevance of training programmes (ILO 2020 ). For own -account workers, it is likewise challenging to invest in skills development. At the same time, access to quality training and recognized skills and qualifications are important stepping-stones to better -quality employment, including formal jobs, and to higher productivity. The region’s labour markets are characterized by persistent gender inequalities, underemployment for young workers, and urban-rural divides. Women continue to face structural labour market barriers, reflected in a labour force participation rate of 53 per cent in 2025, compared with 75 per cent for men. The share of youth not in education, employment or training has declined, but remains high in some countries ( for example, at 23 per cent in Colombia) and is higher for young women than for men (ILO 2025). Finally, labour markets in the region are also shaped by regional disparities, with urban areas concentrating formal, higher-quality employment opportunities and educational institutions. In contrast, rural communities have fewer training centres, which are more widely dispersed and often poorly equipped. Inadequate transport infrastructure, inflexible course schedules, and the opportunity cost of time additionally restrict the possibilities of rural workers to participate in training and skills development (ILO 2020). Such disparities highlight a need for inclusive lifelong learning strategies that address the situation of disadvantaged groups. These strategies need to be

1 The World of Work report distinguishes between three types of learning

possibilities of rural workers to participate in training and skills development (ILO 2020). Such disparities highlight a need for inclusive lifelong learning strategies that address the situation of disadvantaged groups. These strategies need to be

1 The World of Work report distinguishes between three types of learning (pp. 9-10): formal learning is defined as learning in education and training institutions, which is recognized by a country’s relevant authorities and leads embedded within broader policy efforts, as structural constraints - such as unequal opportunities, unequal distribution of unpaid care work , gender segregation in training, fields of study and occupations, and social norms such as early family formation – entrench labour market disparities (ECLAC and ILO 2023; OECD 2023b). Persistent labour market inequalities interact with major transformations in the world of work . The introduction of AI is reshaping jobs in the region, affecting task requirements and possibly working conditions, while also putting certain occupations at risk , especially among younger workers employed in finance, insurance, and public administration. At the same time, most jobs in the region remain only weakly exposed to digital technologies, including those that could benefit from technological change (Gmyrek et al. 2024). The latter finding reflects two structural challenges: a persistently low-skilled workforce and a low-productivity productive sector that does not yet demand advanced skills but would nonetheless benefit from skills development among workers and managers. Population ageing is another major trend in the region, affecting most strongly Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay, while being significant in the other countries as well (ECLAC 2022). It represents another reason for the centrality of adequate skills development and quality learning, be it for younger workers most exposed to AI or for older workers, whose labour force participation is central for ageing societies.  Findings on lifelong learning access and a new survey tool to fill data gaps Despite the importance of lifelong learning , quality learning and training, which lead to recognized skills and

whose labour force participation is central for ageing societies.  Findings on lifelong learning access and a new survey tool to fill data gaps Despite the importance of lifelong learning , quality learning and training, which lead to recognized skills and qualifications, are out of reach for many youth and adult workers. This is exemplified in Figure 1 based on countrylevel data from SDG indicator 4.3.1 (see the pink scatter points). The indicator captures the incidence of formal and non-formal education and training among individuals aged 15 to 64 in the past calendar year. 1 It provides a good to diplomas and qualifications. Non-formal learning stands for organized learning outside formal systems - typically taking place in workplaces, communities, and civil society context s. It may be certified but often does not lead to official qualifications. Finally, informal learning includes ILO Brief 4 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean overview of learning opportunities among the working-age population, although it does not allow for comparisons by employment status or offer more details on learning modalities. On average, participation in formal and nonformal education and learning stands at 15.6 per cent in the region, which is almost identical to the world average of 15.5 per cent . However, this regional average conceals substantial cross -country variation. While participation exceeds one fifth of the population in Argentina (21.4 per cent), Uruguay (20.9 per cent), Costa Rica (20.6 per cent) and the Plurinational State of Bolivia (22.1 per cent), it remains far lower in Saint Lucia (6.0 per cent), Guyana (8.3 per cent), El Salvador (11.5 per cent) and Guatemala (12.3 per cent). Overal l, participation in structured learning remains limited, although access varies considerably within the region. These findings diverge from the share of full -time permanent workers who participated in employer-provided

per cent), El Salvador (11.5 per cent) and Guatemala (12.3 per cent). Overal l, participation in structured learning remains limited, although access varies considerably within the region. These findings diverge from the share of full -time permanent workers who participated in employer-provided training in the last fiscal year (see the bars in Figure 1). This second indicator stems from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys and considers employees in formal firms with at least five employees. It therefore focuses on a privileged group of workers, whose better working conditions are , among other aspects, reflected in comparatively higher access to training. Of these workers, 61.3 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean were offered training, which exceeds the averages for both the rest of the world (48.6 per cent) and the world as a whole (50.7 per cent) . Again, there is country -level variation, with participation rates ranging from 29.4 per cent in Suriname to over 78 per cent in El Salvador and Honduras. Taken together, the two indicators in Figure 1 point to clear disparities in access to learning and training among the working -age population, with workers in specific formal firms benefiting more than the average worker. Such disparities are of concern given the region’s rates of informal employment discussed before. More granular information on learning is often missing, especially outside of high -income countries and in the world of work. Existing indicators indicate little about informal learning, barriers to participation, whether learning leads to recognized skills and qualifications, or how access differs by literacy, educational attainment and formality status. The ILO lifelong learning survey provides a new survey tool to help fill this evidence gap. So far, the survey has been piloted outside Latin America and the Caribbean, in Bangladesh, Fiji and the United Republic of Tanzania. The tool, however, is publicly available and can be used in other countries (see https://www.ilo.org/lifelong-learning-and-skills-future for details).

survey has been piloted outside Latin America and the Caribbean, in Bangladesh, Fiji and the United Republic of Tanzania. The tool, however, is publicly available and can be used in other countries (see https://www.ilo.org/lifelong-learning-and-skills-future for details). The evidence from the pilot countries points to significant inequalities in access to quality training. Formal and nonformal learning is much less used by illiterate workers and those without completed secondary education. The same is true for informally employed workers. These findings suggest that participation in lifelong learning is shaped not only by the availability of opportunities, but also by preexisting inequalities in education and employment. Workers with lower formal qualifications and less s ecure labour market attachment tend to have fewer opportunities to participate in structured learning, even though these workers may have the greatest need for skills development. These patterns merit attention in Latin America and the Caribbean, given that many of the conditions associated with unequal learning opportunities are present in the region. Although educational attainment has improved, important deficits persist: only 64 per cent of individuals aged 25 to 34 have completed secondary education and only 24 per cent hold a tertiary degree (OECD 2020) . Despite recent improvements, almost one in five young people aged 15 to 2 4 were not in employment, education or training in 2025, with the share rising to nearly 2 4 per cent among young women (ILO 2025) . Based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) , most 15 -year-olds in the region do not meet minimum requirements to continue studies for example in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) . In addition, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be enrolled in TVET and have weaker foundational skills on average, with consequences for skills acquisition during TVET and subsequent outcomes (Levin et al. 2024) . More broadly, inequalities in opportunities and outcomes are

students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be enrolled in TVET and have weaker foundational skills on average, with consequences for skills acquisition during TVET and subsequent outcomes (Levin et al. 2024) . More broadly, inequalities in opportunities and outcomes are shaped by socio -economic status, gender, ethnicity and geography (ECLAC and ILO 2023; ILO 2024b) . These disparities matter for lifelong learning because weak er educational foundations and unequal transitions into work can limit access to further learning later in life.

“learning by doing” and learning from peers. It takes place in daily life and can be unintentional. ILO Brief 5 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean  Figure 1: Participation in formal and non -formal education and training (scatter) and share of full -time permanent workers receiving employer -provided training in formal manufacturing firms of five or more employees (bar), 2023 or latest available year (percentage) by country

Key: Saint Lucia – LCA; Guyana – GUY; El Salvador – SLV, Guatemala – GTM; Honduras – HND; Chile – CHL; Belize – BLZ; Peru – PER; Colombia – COL; Jamaica – JAM; Mexico – MEX; Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep. of) – VEN; Rest of the World – RoW; Brazil – BRA; Latin America and the Caribbean – LAC; Dominican Republic – DOM; Ecuador – ECU; Paraguay – PRY; Panama – PAN; Suriname – SUR; Costa Rica – CRI; Uruguay – URY; Argentina – ARG; Bolivia (Plur. State of) – BOL; Trinidad and

Tobago – TTO.

Note: Figures refer to persons aged 15 to 64 and their formal and non -formal education and training in the past 12 months. A simple average of the country-level values was used.

Tobago – TTO.

Note: Figures refer to persons aged 15 to 64 and their formal and non -formal education and training in the past 12 months. A simple average of the country-level values was used.

Source: Adapted from World of Work Report 2026: Lifelong learning and skills for the future, based on UN, “SDG Indicators

Database” and World Bank Enterprise Surveys. The findings from the ILO’s lifelong learning survey are also informative given the continued prevalence of informal employment in the region, which , as discussed earlier, correlates with lower average productivity and employment quality. Informal workers are less likely to access organized learning activities and often face barriers such as training costs, lack of information, and lower levels of education (see Asenjo et al. 2024; ILO 2016) . According to the evidence discussed for the pilot countries in the main report, informal workers rely heavily on informal learning, which takes place in daily life and can be unintentional. When they do so, they disproportionately “learn-by-doing”, while they learn less often from peers and supervisors than formal workers. Generally speaking, the findings from the ILO lifelong learning survey point to mechanisms that likely matter in ILO Brief 6 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean many lowand middle-income settings . This underscores the value of more detailed evidence on how learning opportunities are distributed among workers. Low participation in structured learning, unequal access to training and widespread informality moreover suggest that the challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean is not only to expand access to lifelong learning, but also to ensure that workers acquire skills relevant to evolving labour market needs. The next section therefore turns to online vacancy da ta to examine the skills profiles in demand in the region.  Insights on skills dynamics from big-data analytics Designing effective skills development programmes and lifelong learning systems requires a clear understanding of

labour market needs. The next section therefore turns to online vacancy da ta to examine the skills profiles in demand in the region.  Insights on skills dynamics from big-data analytics Designing effective skills development programmes and lifelong learning systems requires a clear understanding of which skills matter in differen t contexts, especially in the face of labour market transformations. What are the skills that people need to access jobs of good quality? Answering this question entails analysing which skills are most demanded and how these skills are linked to employment outcomes. The World of Work report relies on big-data analytics to identify the skills and skill bundles that drive better employment outcome s, including Brazil and Uruguay as examples from the region . For the two countries , online vacancy data from the job search platform BuscoJobs are analysed for the years 2010 to 202 3. 2 So-called “n atural language processing “ (NLP) techniques are then used to extract skills information from the text descriptions of the vacancies. This technique relies on detailed, pre -defined keywords from an ILO skills taxonomy. These keyword s characterize 15 skills categories, which fall under the broader categories of cognitive, socio -emotional and manual skills. A skill is classified as being demanded in a vacancy when at least one relevant keyword appears in the vacancy description (Adamczyk et al. 2025; Escudero et al. 2024). Online vacancies are not fully representative of countries’ labour demand, as they do not capture jobs that are filled outside the online labour market (e.g., through word of

2 For Uruguay, data from around 140,000 vacancies were analysed. For Brazil, the sample size was 25.3 million. Notably, the databases also includes mouth) (Fabo and Kureková 2022) . This leads to an underrepresentation of manual skill use (see, for example, Adamczyk et al. 2024 , who identify comparatively higher

Brazil, the sample size was 25.3 million. Notably, the databases also includes mouth) (Fabo and Kureková 2022) . This leads to an underrepresentation of manual skill use (see, for example, Adamczyk et al. 2024 , who identify comparatively higher shares of manual skills in Brazilian administrative data ). At the same time, in most countries alternative data capturing skills dynamics over time are scarce. Online vacancies also provide very granular information. In addition, Escudero et al. (2024) show for Uruguay that significant shares of jobs with intermediate and even low entry requirements are advertised on BuscoJobs. Demand for skills and skills bundles Figure 2 displays the skills sought in online job vacancies from Brazil and Uruguay. Across both countries, employers place substantial emphasis on socio -emotional skills (shown in shades of purple). These account for 54 per cent of all required skills in Brazil and 46 per cent in Uruguay. Within the socio-emotional category, people management and customer service emerge as the most frequently requested competencies. Demand for cognitive skills (shown in shades of green) is likewise strong, with core cognitive skills and general computer skills being the most frequently requested. Interestingly, the demand for machine learning and AI skills remains low, although it has increased over time from 0.5 per cent in 2010 to 1 per cent in 2023 in Brazil, for example. Th is overall modest representation may be because the data end in 2023, when the demand for AI skills had not yet fully accelerated, but also because many workers employ ready -to-use AI tools rather than expert AI skills. Finally, manual skills, shown in shades of blue, are less often demanded in the online labour market than socio-emotional and cognitive skills. applicant profiles. The World of Work report provides more details and related analyses. ILO Brief 7 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean  Figure 2: Skills composition of vacancies

labour market than socio-emotional and cognitive skills. applicant profiles. The World of Work report provides more details and related analyses. ILO Brief 7 Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean  Figure 2: Skills composition of vacancies (percentages)

Source: World of Work Report 2026, based on BuscoJobs vacancy data (2010-23).

The World of Work report emphasises that skills do not operate in isolation. Rather, contemporary labour markets require diverse set s of skills that need to be combined by workers for them to perform tasks effectively. In this context, a narrow focus on technical skills is insufficient. Instead, skills development initiatives should foster rounded skills profiles. In this context, Figure 3 shows how different pairs of skills are jointly demanded in online vacancies. Thicker lines indicate that a given skill pair is in higher demand. The demand for skill pairs is particularly notable within the socio-emotional skill group (especially in Brazil), but also between socio -emotional and cognitive skills (this is more pronounced in Uruguay). These findings imply that employers often require these competencies in combination.  Figure 3: Skills networks within vacancies, by country

Note: Each skill network shows the relationships between skills in each country. Thicker lines indicate higher frequency of both skills being jointly required in job adverts. ILO Brief 8

Lifelong learning and skills for the future: Insights for Latin America and the Caribbean Source: World of Work Report 2026, based on BuscoJobs vacancy data (2010–23).

 Figure 4: Skills networks showing asymmetrical relationships based on vacancy data complexity scores, Brazil

Note: Skills are arranged by complexity scores across three layers, from left to right and bottom to top. Smaller nodes represent more complex skills. Thicker lines indicate stronger connections between skills. Arrows denote

relationships based on vacancy data complexity scores, Brazil

Note: Skills are arranged by complexity scores across three layers, from left to right and bottom to top. Smaller nodes represent more complex skills. Thicker lines indicate stronger connections between skills. Arrows denote directional importance: an arrow from skill A to skill B indicates a strong link in that direction. An asymmetrical relationship (a link going only in one direction) can be interpreted as a skill requirement: an arrow from skill A to skill B means that skill B requires skill A, with nearly al l job vacancies that require skill B also listing skill A. Links going in both directions denote a symmetrical relationship that can be interpreted as a skill bundle. For each skill, only the three strongest connections are shown.

Source: World of Work Report 2026, based on BuscoJobs vacancy data (2010–23).

The World of Work Report also assesses which skills have a foundational role in sup