Peru

Vocational education and training (VET) programmes are facing rapid change and intensifying challenges. How can employers and unions be engaged?  How can workbased learning be used?  How can teachers and trainers be effectively prepared? How should postsecondary programmes be structured? The country reports in this series look at these and other questions. They form part of Skills beyond School, OECD policy reviews of vocational education and training.

Peru has experienced significant improvements in economic growth, well-being and poverty reduction since the introduction of macroeconomic reforms, economic openness and more effective social programmes in the 1990s. However, the country still faces structural challenges to escape the middle-income trap and consolidate its emerging middle class. This report provides policy actions to tackle the main bottlenecks to boost inclusive development and well-being in Peru. In particular this report presents an in-depth analysis and policy recommendations to boost economic diversification and productivity, improve connectivity and reduce informality. Policy actions in these areas demand better institutions and improvements in areas and markets, including research and development and innovation, fiscal policy, education and skills, logistics and transport infrastructure as well as labour and product markets.

The economic performance of Peru in recent times has been impressive. There is now a transition underway as commodity prices fall, and the key challenge for Peru is how to improve productivity and maintain this growth trajectory. Peru is a territorially diverse country and addressing these challenges will require policies that are designed for the specific needs of different cities and regions. The importance of regional policies is particularly important for the case of Peru. Within the OECD only four countries have a larger land mass. The physical geography of the country is shaped by a thin coastal region, the Andes and the Amazon forest in the interior. These different areas are not well connected and have vastly different levels of service provision and infrastructure. The report sets out how regional policies can be improved to address these challenges. This includes ensuring the preconditions (such as revenues, capabilities and coordinating mechanisms) are in place for decentralisation to work. Lifting national productivity will largely depend on well-functioning cities. The report also includes recommendations for how Peru can develop a comprehensive approach to urban policy, including enhancing linkages with rural areas.
 

The equal inclusion of women in economic life is a key driver of economic growth throughout the world, including the Pacific Alliance countries of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Talent is lost, and future growth suffers, when women do not have the same opportunities as men to reach their full potential in the labour market. All countries of the world have work to do to advance the equality agenda, and Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru have much to do. While girls and women in the Pacific Alliance are progressing on the path to gender equality and inclusive growth, significant roadblocks remain.

Regulation is one of the key levers of government intervention. When properly designed, it can help achieve environmental and social objectives, and contribute to economic growth. The OECD Review of Regulatory Policy of Peru assesses the policies, institutions, and tools employed by the Peruvian government to design, implement and enforce high-quality regulations. These include administrative simplification, evaluation of regulations, public consultation, and the governance of independent regulators, amongst others. The review provides policy recommendations based on best international practices and peer assessment to strengthen the government’s capacity to manage regulatory policy.

Peru has experienced significant improvements in growth, well-being and poverty reduction since the introduction of macroeconomic reforms, economic openness and more effective social programmes in the 1990s. However, the country still faces structural challenges to escape the middle-income trap and consolidate its emerging middle class. This report reviews the main bottlenecks to boost inclusive development and well-being in Peru. These include education and skills, the labour market, innovation, transport infrastructure and logistics, governance and trust in institutions. These dimensions have considerable implications for levels of productivity, inequalities and labour informality in Peru.