Narayan AmmachchiUS technology giant IBM has teamed up with a Latin American non-profit to train regional high school students in disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, blockchain, Agile methodology, and Design Thinking, among others.
Learning new technology skills in the early stage of their life will help them become part of the workforce of the future, Ana Paula Assis, president of IBM Latin America, has stated in a press release.
Latin America will experience a shortage of more than 586,570 IT professionals by the end of 2020, IBM said, citing a study by research firm IDC. This year alone, the deficit will likely cause the region to lose at least 0.9% of its gross domestic output (GDP).
Achievement Americas (JA), the NGO that will spearhead the program, says as many as 4,600 students will participate.
The initiative will get underway shortly in 11 LatAm cities in countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.
According to Leo Martellotto, president of JA Americas, around 32 million young people in the region are neither working nor studying and ‘just waiting for opportunities to come to them”.
“That’s why initiatives like this… allow them to access technical skills that, along with life skills, allow them to trust themselves and take action. The collective impact of the public, private, and civil sectors working together is now a critical part of addressing this complexity. ”
“Professionals and students who are constantly learning throughout their lives are better positioned to become professionals ready for today’s demands in the job market,” Assis added.
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