First Report of the Observatory of Employability Randstad-UNR

The National University of Rosario (UNR) and Randstad presented the results of the first report of the Observatory of Employability Randstad-UNR.

The survey was developed among companies that are located or have operations in Rosario city, Santa Fe, Argentina. The goal was to explore and analyse the skills demanded by the local productive sector.

During the presentation of the report, Héctor Floriani, Dean of the UNR, emphasized the urge for the university system to develop these kind of surveys systematically and generate relevant information that may be used to improve human capital formation and fit the current needs of labour market (including both, the public and the private sector).

Andrea Ávila, CEO Randstad agreed on the importance of adjusting skills and promoting public policies that enhance the adaptation of education and professional training, particularly considering that we are going through the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Germán Tessmer, deputy director of the Observatory of Economics of the UNR said that there currently is a lack of information about the Argentinian labour market, and that the data available basically reports access to the market. Therefore, the Observatory of Employability is key to as it provides qualitative information that shall enable understanding what are the skills that the local productive sector is demanding, and survey what are the skills it will require in the medium term.

In addition, prior sharing some of the key outcomes of the report, Gabriela Vlasich, Project Coordinator at Staffingamericalatina, pointed out that the first goal of the Observatory is to identify the skills’ gap in the area of Gran Rosario (AGR). “The most ambitious goal of this project is for the information we generate to become a strategic resource for the public and the private sector, as well as the academy and the productive sector, which shall enable to design initiatives that may strengthen our youth, promote employability and encourage the development of pertinent talent”, she added.

Both, Mr. Floriani and Mrs. Ávila, highlighted their commitment to support and promote the Observatory of Employability.

You can download the full report here.

KEY RESULTS

This first report shows gaps in terms of technical and socioemotional skills among young people in the AGR.

As regards socioemotional skills, the survey respondents tended to agree that the candidates they interview, as well as the young people who currently work in their companies in the positions analysed, show deficits in effective communication and active listening. Both skills are also ranked among the most strategic competences to develop the positions surveyed.

When it comes to technical skills, a similar situation can be observed in the capacity to analyse and process information. Once again, candidates tend to show deficits in this skill, which is also a strategic skill to develop the positions surveyed.

In addition, this first report of the Observatory of Employability Randstad-UNR also poses questions about certain indicators, linked to gender differences and wages mismatch.

In the first case, the report states that, while the percentage of male and female candidates is rather even in every sector, the industrial sector tends to favour male candidates, particularly for poorly qualified jobs.

In the second case, the survey respondents stated that there tends to be a mismatch regarding the income expectations of jobseekers who apply to qualified jobs, such as technicians, and what they are actually offered by companies.