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Based on the results of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) - Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) project “Determinants of a knowledge-based industry in the ICT sector in Costa Rica”, the Presidency of Costa Rica announced on 4 September 2008 the formation of a tripartite commission composed of representatives of academia, private sector and government that in the next three months will elaborate a National Plan for the Formation of Human Resources in the ICT sector (click here to access the Press Release by the Presidency -available in Spanish). 

The research was coordinated by the Costa Rican Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CAMTIC) in collaboration with the University of Costa Rica and the National University. The research provided a detailed analysis of the balances and unbalances between the current offer in the educational system and the demands of the ICT industry in Costa Rica. It showed that in 2007, there was demand for at least other 2,000 workers in the sector resulting in an estimate loss of $72 million to the country for the lack of qualified human resources. The Acting President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, will be part of the tripartite commission in charge of the elaboration of the National Plan.

“Thanks to the support of the IDRC we have been able to work closely with academia, the private sector and government to carry out this research, which has highlighted the urgent need for a national plan for the development of Human Resources in the ICT sector, if our country wants to continue to grow and consolidate this sector which already provides a very significant contribution to our economy. The tripartite commission that Vice-President Laura Chinchilla has announced is a huge step in this direction!” commented Claudio Pinto, Vice-President of CAMTIC.

The Knowledge Economy in LAC programme is coordinated by FLACSO and jointly supported by IDRC’s regional funds for Latin America and the Caribbean and IDRC's following program areas: Innovation, Policy and Science (IPS); Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D Americas) and Social and Economic Policy (SEP).

A compilation of diverse media headlines is available below:

• Presidency of the Republic of Costa Rica, September 4, 2008: "País urge más técnicos y profesionales en informática"

• Costa Rican Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CAMTIC) release of September 4, 2008 by Sandra Angulo Hernández:  "CAMTIC satisfecho con propuesta de la Presidencia para crear Plan Nacional de Formación de Recurso Humano en Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC)"

• Elfinancierocr.com , Negocios #685, by Sergio Morales Chavarría: Carreras cortas resurgen – Viene Nuevo instituto parauniversitario y otros cambian oferta de carreras. William Salom, President of the Interamerican Group, talks about the new private education center, Instituto Politécnico Internacional (IPI).
  http://www.elfinancierocr.com/ef_archivo/2008/septiembre/21/negocios1693667.html

• ElfinancieroCR.com, Economía y Política #683, by Carlos Cordero Pérez and Gilda González Camacho: “País perdió $72 millones por falta de informáticos - Hay carencia de perfiles profesionales”. A video is available where Alexander Mora, CAMTIC President, explains the results and the quantitative implications of the analysis on the offer and demand of ICT HR in Costa Rica as well as CAMTIC’s proposals to tackle the subject.
  http://www.elfinancierocr.com/ef_archivo/2008/septiembre/07/economia1681197.html

• Central Americana DATA – El Portal de Negocios de la Región, by Gilda González Camacho: “País perdió $72 millones por falta de informáticos” http://www.centralamericadata.com/links/nofollow/179127  

• radarTI.com, Sep. 21, 2008, by Fabio Víquez, with the collaboration of Carolina Castro: “Recurso Humano: Fortaleza y Debilidad” http://www.radarti.com/inside.php?id=376&mail=&action=more_details  

• La Prensa Libre, San José, Costa Rica, 5 september 2008, by Karina Alpízar Corella: “Demanda insatisfecha deja pérdidas millonarias a empresarios - Baja calidad de profesionales en tecnología obliga a nuevo plan”
  http://www.prensalibre.co.cr/2008/setiembre/05/nacionales07.php  

• El Sendero Del Peje – SDP “Arriesga Costa Rica competitividad por falta de especialistas en TIC” by George Rodríguez, San José, 6 september 2008 (Notimex).
  https://senderodelpeje.com/sdp/contenido/2008/09/06/33487  

• Vuelta en U, Noticias, 8 de setiembre de 2008, by David Castillo Robinson: “Hay escasez de técnicos”
  http://www.vueltaenu.co.cr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5725&Itemid=1  
  

2008-10-28

News 1 of 17