The Trustees of COSPAE with Captain Orlando Allard fourth from the left
Captain Orlando Allard elected President of the new Board of Directors of Panama´s Private Sector Council for Educational Assistance, COSPAE
On 20 January 2016, the new Board of Directors of the Private Sector Council for Educational Assistance (COSPAE) celebrated its swearing in ceremony, with Captain Orlando Allard as the new president, representing the Maritime Chamber, a 250 member-strong organization that groups maritime auxiliary services, port and logistics companies that alone provides more than 33% of the country´s GDP.
The Board of COSPAE with Captain Allard in the middle
COSPAE groups over 32 plus business organizations that represent the country´s most influential productive sector: the Chamber of Commerce (CCIAP); the Panamanian Construction Chamber (CAPAC); the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM); the Association of Business Executives (APEDE); the Panamanian Chamber of Technology (CAPATEC); the Association of Automobile Distributors (ADAP), the Panamanian Association of Hotels (APATEL); and the Panamanian Industrialists Syndicate (SIP). The Council also counts on a Board of Trustees composed of several of the most respected and influential businessmen in the country, most of them past presidents of COSPAE themselves.
The Council is a 32 year-old non-profit organisation whose main mission is to raise the country´s competitiveness through the facilitation of pertinent technical training programmes that respond to the needs of the productive sector, whilst connecting youngsters with job opportunities. Over its 32 year tenure, COSPAE has provided more than 55, 000 training and employment opportunities to young men and women, thanks to funds provided by the 32 plus membership private sector organizations, several multilateral organisations, such as the Latin American Development Bank, CAF; the Interamerican Development Bank, IDB; the World Bank, other international organizations and a percentage from the National Education Tax.
Captain Orlando Allard
Over the years, COSPAE has gained a reputation as the most effective entity in the provision of programmes that address technical competencies as well as social and soft skills that better qualify young men and women –particularly those at a disadvantage –to get jobs. Technical “dual” training, sometimes called “apprenticeships” incorporating theoretical and a high percentage of practical training components, form the core of COSPAE´s programmes. COSPAE also provides scholarship administration services, as well as development and update programmes for employees of the membership companies. The Council pays special attention to youngsters who live in areas where the danger of succumbing to drugs and crime is high, including young men and women in minimum security detention centres, or who benefit from special measures as determined by judges in juvenile courts.
COSPAE is a major proponent of getting together all interested entities, from the public and private sectors, in order to create a national technical training and education system that will focus on providing pertinent training that goes hand in hand with the current and future needs of the productive sector. COSPAE organises seminars and forums especially formulated to highlight important issues having to do with technical training and job availability, as well as educational fairs that provide vocational guidance and job information for youngsters. The Council´s well-earned reputation opens doors, facilitates its involvement and helps in obtaining funds to provide quality labour intermediation services that benefit less fortunate young men and women.
The Council coordinates the execution of the Panamanian version of the New Employment Opportunities (NEO) programme, designed to develop a national system to identify human resources needs and formulate the appropriate response, through training or development programmes.
Under the chairmanship of Captain Allard, the Council will continue to play a very critical role in the provision of qualified human resources, particularly in view of the new business opportunities that the Canal expansion offers for the logistics sector. However, it is expected that with Captain Allard´s experience and international relationships in educational as well as maritime circles, the Council will transcend the national arena and benefit from lessons-learned and assistance available from other similar organizations in other countries in Europe and North and South America.
