All around the world, leaders from government and industry debate the “future of work.” We have all seen predictions of a massive shift in the workforce needs of the future. The latest prediction from McKinsey Global Institute is that approximately 50% of existing work activities can be displaced, replaced or changed by automation of some form, whether caused by traditional software, robotics, or new artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms.

By Laurence Telson*

My hair is mine and not mine. It is quite boring, some part wavy some part coarse, it grows fast and wild. Yet it tells the story of who I am (Caribbean of African descent), my social background (middle class), and my racial DNA (a medley of all that trampled the Continent). For me, it is not just hair.  My “Black-Hair” stands for the historical weight that I bear as an Afro-Caribbean woman.

When we talk about technology for education we think of tablets, laptops, robots or interactive platforms with which children learn new (coding) or traditional skills (mathematics) better or faster. Raised like this, it seems inevitable to imagine that students or higher income schools have the most access to this type of resources. But, what would happen if access to technology in the coming years is not a privilege, but the cheapest way to access educational services?

Imagine that our son or daughter is about to decide which profession to study in a country in Latin America or the Caribbean. Would you recommend that they become a teacher? What factors would we consider? Of course, we would like our son or daughter to study a career related to their preferences and interests (and in addition, their abilities), we would like a profession that provides a good income, that rewards their effort and that, in some way, is valued by the society.

If you want to find a job after colleague, you should be sure to be likeable. At least if you’re a woman who’s looking for a career in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field.

Latin America and the Caribbean is aging at an accelerated and unprecedented rate. At present, 11 percent of its inhabitants are over 60 years old, a percentage that still does not amount to what is considered to be an aging population, as in the case of Europe (23.9 percent) or North America (20.8 percent). However, it is expected that by 2030 the population over 60 in Latin America and the Caribbean will reach 17 percent, and by 2050 one in every four inhabitants of the region will have reached that age. Europe needed 65 years to travel the same path.