Today’s labor markets seek skills like responsibility, communication, and creativity. But according to a new study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), youth in Latin America are not sufficiently developing these abilities.

Based on surveys of youth and business leaders, the study entitled Disconnected: Skills, Education, and Employment in Latin America (Desconectados – Habilidades, Educación, y Empleo en América Latina) identifies a major gap between the skills that students are learning in school and those that the labor market needs and seeks from high school graduates. The study also indicates that Latin American education systems have improved in terms of coverage, but not in terms of quality nor in methods to encourage students to complete their education.