The country’s labor problems could be solved by developing an immigration policy that allows skilled foreign workers to work and also train Panamanians.

In his opinion piece Rene Quevedo notes the difficulties facing the Panamanian labor market due to a lack of national technical professionals and because of a preference for adult workers over young people with little experience and training.

Quevedo notes: “…The firm Nathan Associates, in its final report to the board of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) on the economic impact of the expansion of the Canal, delivered in May 2012, poses on page 146, that between 28% to 45 % of new jobs to be generated by the Panamanian economy between 2013 and 2025 will require imported labor. ”

“…Do we import or create them? The first option may be the fastest, the second the most sensible, although not as feasible in the short term, given the requirements of a market which is increasingly internationalized and dynamic. ”

“…The solution could be a combination of both, as part of a coherent and consensual migration policy, through which experienced foreign staff come in temporarily to train Panamanians, with special emphasis on historically marginalized groups. ”

Source: Prensa.com