The Private Sector’s Commitment to Job Creation: Recommendations to the Leaders

The Americas Society/Council of the Americas-sponsored Summit of the Americas Working Group has brought together leaders of the private sector to focus on public-private partnerships for job creation. Group members are dedicated to helping create and shape the talent and skill levels necessary for job growth and the expansion of investment and operations throughout the hemisphere. Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) is pleased to share the group's findings in its this publication, The Private Sector’s Commitment to Job Creation: Recommendations to the Leaders. The report delivers recommendations on how the public and private sectors can collaborate to confront unemployment in the Americas.

• Download a PDF of the report.

The report will be distributed to hemispheric leaders in anticipation of the April 14 and 15 Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. The publication outlines five areas where the private sector and hemispheric governments can collaborate to achieve these goals. Report recommendations include:

• Skills Gap and Education: To close the gap between the skills of students graduating today and modern labor demands, the paper recommends curriculum redesign through public-private sector cooperation, with an emphasis on math and science, reworking vocational training, an increase in scholarships, and a focus on early childhood education.
• Research and Development/Innovation: To spur innovation, the working group recommends incentives to increase R&D investment, better protection for intellectual property rights, a focus on design and creative development, and investment in the development of entrepreneurial skills that lead to business start-ups.
• Streamlining Labor Laws for New Job Entrants, Particularly Internships: To provide youth with on-the-job-training, the paper recommends generating more internship and apprenticeship opportunities, and that labor laws and labor unions create the flexibility to encourage part-time youth employment.
• Creating an Environment that Encourages Entrepreneurship and the Creation of SMEs: To create the conditions for opening more SMEs, the group suggests expanding access to credit and capital for SMEs, streamlining the processes to create and close businesses, creating mentor networks, and expanding access to technology.
• Sharing Best Practice Across Countries and Industries: To drive economic development through best practices, the report recommends consulting players at the national and regional levels, and creating a platform to outline best practices.

For more information on the Summit of the Americas Working Group, please contact Allie Fleder at afleder@as-coa.org or 212-277-8375.