It is well known that the lack of job opportunities in Latin American countries causes the flight of Latin American talents abroad. For many people, this problem may not mean anything or cause them any type of difficulty; But this is a real problem: according to a report from the International Labor Organization (ILO), “in 2020 the Americas lost the equivalent of more than 50 million jobs” (Made for minds, 2022).
It is essential to analyze what the “brain drain” means and how this situation affects our territories. Therefore, it is very important to think and offer solutions since the points of origin, as is the case in Latin America, need to enhance their capabilities and generate development. When talent drain occurs, which is fundamentally the loss of highly qualified personnel at a professional level, the loss cascades since not only are personal and national efforts lost at a time level throughout the training process, but it also affects what economic in addition to ending up losing growth possibilities for the communities, which affects a decrease in entrepreneurial enthusiasm, job creation, research, projects and other alternatives that could be positive.
It should be noted that the countries that “take” qualified labor from Latin American countries are generally the United States, Canada, Germany, England and France, although this scale continues to grow in other territories. These countries are usually very attractive to settle in and improve the quality of life of these people who in turn “contribute to the generation of ideas and their subsequent application by creating endless innovative mechanisms, which help contribute to the economy of that country.” country”, according to Supuestos Magazine.
For the countries receiving brain drains, this situation is very positive since the effort and investment they must make to have this qualified workforce is minimal and, practically, they immediately receive the personnel they require to be applied to their needs.
The question then arises: what are the consequences of the flight of talent from their countries of origin?
Well, the answer to this question is very simple: when there is a massive migration of scientists, doctors, engineers among other professions; A technological and scientific delay is generated since they are the ones in charge of innovating in these areas of knowledge. In addition, a process called “human decapitalization” occurs, that is, fewer people contributing to the country. This represents a decrease in “economic growth in the short and long term” (Guevara, 2019).
Thus, with this brain drain “there is a concentrating tendency in the production of knowledge, and industrialized countries concentrate more than 90% of all scientific production,” according to the Scielo database.
And right now you will have the following question: How do we solve this problem?
Well, the answer to this other question is also simple: A better proposal from Public Policies that optimize and encourage quality jobs and actions that support future professionals generated by universities with programs that guarantee them opportunities to undertake very hard work, training, financing of projects and support for the promotion of their productions or services. Furthermore, the government should encourage both local and international companies to direct their attention to these people in the training process.
John William Branch, professor at the National University of Colombia, in dialogue with El Mundo, suggests that “the solution is to create alliances between the State, private companies and universities, so that highly qualified professionals can enter the labor field and also enter the research and innovation areas.”
Thinking about the construction and growth of our developing countries must arise from the incentive and priority of our governments to create instances that provide real opportunities to our professionals and thus, retain this qualified workforce with quality jobs and consequent good pay that guarantee quality of life and conditions of professional and personal growth, in such a way that it compensates the number of years invested in study, time and money to obtain knowledge.
Public Policies must guarantee quality of life, it is something that citizens must demand from our governments in addition to guaranteeing and generating strategies that allow quality educational conditions for all at low costs as a fundamental right, preventing many of these professionals from having to go to onerous loans that, many times, become a nightmare and force the professional to migrate to find money to pay the debts caused by their education (these acquired debts are often difficult to pay), which is why they decide to leave the school. country.
Sources
Guevara Muñoz, L. (22 de julio de 2019). Latinamerican Post. Obtenido de Fuga de cerebros: otro problema para América Latina: https://latinamericanpost.com/es/29138-fuga-de-cerebros-otro-problema-para-america-latina#:~:text=Como%20se%20mencion%C3%B3%20anteriormente%2C%20M%C3%A9xico,en%20cuenta%20las%20cifras%20oficiales
Made for minds. (10 de febrero de 2022). Obtenido de Baja productividad y fuga de cerebros golpean duro a América Latina: https://www.dw.com/es/baja-productividad-y-fuga-de-cerebros-golpean-duro-a-am%C3%A9rica-latina/a-60720453