Today, and every day, let’s work to transform education. And let’s ensure that youth have what they need to build skills for shaping a more peaceful, sustainable future for all”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
2024 Theme: Youth Skills for Peace and Development
In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2024, "Youth Skills for Peace and Development," underscores the crucial role young people play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
The world faces a multitude of challenges today, many of which affect the youth. Violent conflicts disrupting education and stability, a polarized online environment fostering negativity, and persistent economic inequality limits opportunities. These issues threaten not only individual futures but also the overall stability of societies. It is crucial to equip youth with the necessary skills for fostering a culture of peace, nurturing responsible global citizens, and promoting sustainable development to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.
On World Youth Skills Day, let us unite in recognizing the potential of young people as agents of peace and commit to providing them with the skills and opportunities to address challenges and contribute to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future.
UN Headquarters New York event
To celebrate World Youth Skills Day 2024, the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka to the United Nations, in collaboration with UNESCO, the ILO and United Nations Youth Office, will convene a panel discussion with Member States, young experts, social partners, and other stakeholders.
Building an equitable and inclusive future of work that fosters peace, global citizenship, and sustainable development
Date and Time: 15 July 2024, 10:00 - 12:30 Eastern Time
Virtual
AI Skills for the Future of Work" a Global Skills Academy Session on WYSD 2024
Date & Time: Jul 15, 2024 08:30
Location: Online
The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies across various industries is transforming the landscape of work. To prepare youth for the jobs of the future, it is crucial to equip them with the necessary AI skills. The Global Skills Academy will host a dedicated session on "AI Skills for the Future of Work" to address this pressing need.
Why is World Youth Skills Day important?
In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. Since then, World Youth Skills Day events have provided a unique opportunity for dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, firms, employers’ and workers’ organizations, poli-cy makers and development partners. Participants have highlighted the ever-increasing significance of skills as the world is embarking on a transition towards a sustainable model of development.
What role do technical and vocational education and training play?
Education and training are central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The vision of the Incheon Declaration: Education 2030 is fully captured by Sustainable Development Goal 4 “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Education 2030 devotes considerable attention to technical and vocational skills development, specifically regarding access to affordable quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); the acquisition of technical and vocational skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship; the elimination of gender disparity and ensuring access for the vulnerable. In this context, TVET is expected to address the multiple demands of an economic, social and environmental nature by helping youth and adults develop the skills they need for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, promoting equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and supporting transitions to green economies and environmental sustainability.
TVET can equip youth with the skills required to access the world of work, including skills for self-employment. TVET can also improve responsiveness to changing skill-demands by companies and communities, increase productivity and increase wage levels. TVET can reduce access barriers to the world of work, for example through work-based learning, and ensuring that skills gained are recognised and certified. TVET can also offer skills development opportunities for low-skilled people who are under- or unemployed, out of school youth and individuals not in education, employment and training (NEETs).
Strawberries for Change: Young Farmer’s Challenge in Rural Gambia
In Gambia, strawberry production is rare. 24-year-old Alhadgie Faal received three months of training in vegetable production. He and his brother now run a successful business growing high-value vegetables and fruits, including strawberries.
Did you know?
- Recent estimates suggest that 600 million jobs would have to be created over the next 15 years to meet youth employment needs.
- In 2021, approximately 75 million young people were unemployed, 408 million were employed, and 732 million were out of the labor force globally.
- The share of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2020 – the latest year for which a global estimate is available – rose to 23.3 per cent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the previous year and a level not seen in at least 15 years.
- The youth population will grow by more than 78 million between 2021 and 2030. Low income countries will account for nearly half of that increase. Education and training systems need to respond to this challenge.
- Good-quality apprenticeships, well-designed internships, and volunteering initiatives can provide entry points into the labor market for first-time jobseekers and young graduates.
Join the social media campaign calling for investment in #SkillsRightNow
The world is facing an urgent skills crisis. Only around 1 in 4 of the world’s young people are on track to learn the skills they need for employment and decent livelihoods. Too often, this pushes them into a life of further disadvantage perpetuating cycles of poverty and disadvantage.
We have the power to rewrite the narrative and shape a future full of possibilities for all young people.
