NEWS
Costa Rica Stands Out in Latin America in the Global Skills Report by Coursera
- The country leads LATAM’s technology skills and outstands in data science, according to Coursera.
- The 2021 report tapped into more than 77 million learners registered worldwide on the online learning platform.
August 2021. The international and renowned online learning platform
Coursera recently launched the
Global Skills Report 2021 where Costa Rica ranks second in Latin America. Why? The country has demonstrated growth and potential in data science and technology.
For the index, Coursera included different categories representing the skill levels of the countries, such as “cutting-edge”, “competitive”, “emerging”, and “lagging”.
Costa Rica is the #1 in technology in LATAM. Cloud computing, software engineering, web development, and security engineering are all ranked as “emerging” skills in the country. Computer networking, programming, databases, and mobile development are qualified in Costa Rica as “competitive” skills within that same group.
The country also ranks fourth in LATAM’s data science and is qualified as a “competitive” skill. Data analysis and statistical programming are ranked as “cutting-edge”, according to 2021’s index. On the other hand, data management, data visualization, mathematics, and probability & statistics are emerging skills, while machine learning is classified as “competitive”.
Evolution. “Costa Rica added technology to its traditional agriculture-based economy, the country experienced growth in biotech and green tech sectors. This pattern will be seen across the region as mineral-rich countries invest in new capabilities and services to complement their natural resources,” reads Coursera's study.
According to Coursera, the Global Skills Report 2021 tapped into 77 million learners who registered on its platform, 4,000 campuses, 2,000 businesses, and over 100 governments to reveal entry-level career paths.
Last year, Costa Rica partnered with Coursera to offer 50,000 online training scholarships for those unemployed due to the pandemic caused by Covid-19. Just on the first day, 15,000 people enrolled in the program.
The result? Over 23,000 enrolled learners completed 40,000 courses within 500,000 logged learning hours.
Case study. Coursera also included the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency, CINDE, as a case study for various reasons.
“Costa Rica is known not only for its quality of life and diverse ecosystems but also a place where cost-effective, innovative businesses can be established. CINDE has been vital to the country’s success in attracting investments from multinational corporations that create jobs,” says the case study.
Another point is CINDE’s efforts in working together with multinationals to understand their needs and design skill development plans to boost Costa Rica’s human talent.
“We want to arm people with the skills they need and inspire a cultural shift around continuous and lifelong learning. We want Costa Ricans to understand that continuous learning and growth offers a path to new opportunities and stability—and eventually to landing their dream job,” concludes Paola Bulgarelli, Lead, Strategic Projects for Investment Climate at CINDE.
