ECLAC has privileged the analysis of the role of education in social inclusion, based on the monitoring of gaps, advances and challenges. For example, within the framework of the Norwegian cooperation program, the analysis of the offer of vocational training and technical education has been deepened, as a key axis for the social and labor inclusion of youth in the region.

A regional document "Panorama de la educación técnica profesional en América Latina y el Caribe" was published and work is being done with some countries directly, such as the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

Capacity building in the context of technological changes that will strongly affect the labor market is a topic that was also strongly addressed in the position paper presented at the II Meeting of the Conference on Social Development, held in October 2017 in Montevideo. ECLAC also supported the inter-agency reflection that has taken place around goal 4 of the SDGs, by participating in the meeting of Education Ministers organized by UNESCO-OREALC in Buenos Aires (January 2017); the Educational Policy Forum organized by IIEP / UNESCO Buenos Aires (October 2017); and commenting on the first report prepared by the coordinating board of education led by the OAS.

ECLAC supports the work of the Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education (OREI) and, during 2017, supported its virtual seminar on Gender and Education. ECLAC, within the framework of a joint project with UNICEF, has published the book: "La violencia en el espacio escolar", , which states that the perception of school violence is associated with lower academic performance in the region. The bookwas presented in different educational policy discussion forums during 2017.

ECLAC also participated in the effort, coordinated by the OAS, to develop an inter-American agenda of education. In addition, together with OECD and CAF, ECLAC prepared the “Perspectivas económicas de América Latina 2017: Juventud, Competencias y Emprendimiento”, which was presented at the Cumbre Iberoamericana de Jefes de Estado (Colombia, October 2016).

Finally, in May 2017, ECLAC organized the “Seminario Internacional Juventud Rural y Políticas Públicas”, where governmental authorities encouraged the promotion of innovation, entrepreneurship and training for rural youth.

The activities and publications related to the Mandate of the VII American Summit include the following:

ECLAC has been part of the joint effort coordinated by the OAS for cooperation in an Inter-American agenda of education, and is also part of the coordination chair that was organized after the Ministerial Meeting of the Bahamas (February 2017).

ECLAC, OECD and CAF prepared the “Panorama Económico para América Latina 2017: Juventud, Habilidades y Emprendimiento”, which was presented at the Inter-American Meeting of Heads of States, in Cartagena de India, Colombia, on October 2016.

Through the partnership with the Norwegian government, the regional study “Panorama de la Educación Técnica Profesional en América Latina y el Caribe" was published. The study focused on the educational and professional technical training in Latin America formal education offered in this area at the secondary and tertiary educational levels. It is expected to foster a regional and national discussion of the countries that want to improve and reform the educational supply systems and improve the articulation between educational systems and productive sectors. This study was discussed with experts in the field on the regional workshop “Articulación de la Educación y Formación Técnico-Profesional: avances y desafíos en los países de América Latina y el Caribe”, which was conducted at ECLAC on November 2016.

The book, “Protección y formación: instituciones para mejorar la inserción laboral en América Latina y Asia”, was published through a joint work with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The book is a compilation of studies that analyze recent experiences of Latin American and Asian countries in relation with unemployment protection systems and professional training and how these institutions have changed and adapted to technology.

As a result of this publication and the Agreement that ECLAC has with the National Training and Employment Service of Chile, its results were presented in two international seminars: Protection and training: institutions for improving the labor insertion in Latin America and Asia which took place the 19th and 20th of October 2016 and "Intermediación laboral: un instrumento para potenciar el impacto de la capacitación para el trabajo" on the 21st of October 2016.


Educational Quality

ECLAC and UNICEF published a study on March 2017 titled “Las violencias en el espacio escolar” which analyzed how these two factors are associated with the learning process at the elementary school level.

Other publications in education are: “El cambio tecnológico y el nuevo contexto del empleo: tendencias generales y en América Latina”; y “Juventud: realidades y retos para un desarrollo con igualdad”.

The role of education has been analyzed in regards to social inclusion, from monitoring gaps, progress and challenges, paying special attention to primary and secondary school levels. For example, under the project funded with Norwegian funds, a study was carried out on gaps and educational inequality and studies on school segmentation in Latin America and the Caribbean, recognizing that it is one of the key factors of social inequality. The incorporation of ICT in schools has been perceived as an opportunity to reduce inequalities in access to technology, but also to develop new learning and training skills required in the information society.

Moreover, ECLAC is one of the agencies that supports the work of the Regional Centre of Inclusive Education (OREI) activity developed from the inter-agency cooperation between the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE), the IIPE UNESCO Buenos Aires, Santiago OREALC UNESCO, the UNESCO IBE Geneva, the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), UNICEF and ECLAC. Also, in cooperation with UNESCO-OREALC, ECLAC has collaborated with the statistical monitoring of compliance with the educational goals for all in the region, and in the thinking on the post-2015 goals that reflect the situation and regional challenges.

Information available in Spanish

Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education
ECLAC has supported the development of an interagency Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education committed towards the realization of the human right to education for all. The Observatory will track progress States make towards ensuring the right to education for all, in particular efforts made in overcoming all forms of discrimination in education, as well as possible drawbacks and violations. The main objective is to promote public debate in relation to the actions that should be taken towards inclusive education.

Activities:
Consulta sobre la educación para la paz, convivencia democrática y derechos humanos. Realizada en Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, México y Paraguay. Los resultados de esta consulta fueron presentados y discutidos durante el Seminario Educación para la Paz, Convivencia Democrática y Derechos humanos en América Latina, realizado en San José de Costa Rica, los días 29 y 30 de Agosto de 2013. http://www.campanaderechoeducacion.org/v2/es/publicaciones/clade/publicaciones-tematicas.html?download=226%3Aconsulta-regional-sobre-la-educacion-para-la-paz-convivencia-democratica-y-derechos-humano
Seminario Regional: Educación Secundaria en América Latina y el Caribe. Bogotá, Colombia 29 al 31 de Mayo de 2013. Coorganizado por CLADE, UNICEF, UNESCO OREALC, UNESCO IIEPE, OEi y CEPAL. http://www.campanaderechoeducacion.org/secundaria/?page_id=2

Partnerships and Financing
The project elaboration has been conducted by ECLAC, CLADE (Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación), in alliance with IIEP UNESCO Buenos Aires, UNESCO OREALC, IBE UNESCO, OEI and UNICEF.

Information available in Spanish

Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education
ECLAC has supported the development of an interagency Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education committed towards the realization of the human right to education for all. The Observatory will track progress States make towards ensuring the right to education for all, in particular efforts made in overcoming all forms of discrimination in education, as well as possible drawbacks and violations. The main objective is to promote public debate in relation to the actions that should be taken towards inclusive education.

Activities:
ECLAC with UNESCO-OREALC organized an International Seminar for the launching of UNESCO´s Global Monitoring Report 2012 for the Latin American Region on October 16th. This year´s report had a special emphasis on the topic of Youth, Skills and Employment. The audience was about 100 persons on site and 300 following online, including: policy decision makers, government officials, education planners, multilateral agencies, NGOs and civil society groups.
ECLAC and UNESCO-OREALC have created a working group to address the review process of the regional achievements regarding the 2015 Education for All Goals, and the reflection process in relation to the future education goals after the year 2015. The working group advanced in the elaboration of a monitoring document that was discussed with a group of regional education experts. The document will be presented and discussed in the next meeting of the Region´s Education Ministers that will take place in early 2013.

Partnerships and Financing:
The project elaboration has been conducted by ECLAC, CLADE (Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación), in alliance with IIEP UNESCO Buenos Aires, UNESCO OREALC, IBE UNESCO, OEI and UNICEF.

Website:
http://www.orealc.cl/informe-ept-2012/espanol-comision-economica-para-america-latina-y-el-caribe/?lang=en