World Youth Skills Day

The World Youth Skills Day, 15 July was designated by the United Nations. It is a day when we can all come together to empower youth with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.

According to the UN, young people are almost three times as likely to be unemployed than adults, and they are continually exposed to a lower quality of jobs, greater labor market inequalities, and longer and more insecure school-to-work transitions. 

At the same time, the start of the 21st century has been marked by rapid advances in technology, and while new technology can increase labor productivity, it also creates job displacement and widens the skills gap. A job for life is now a thing of the past, and the World Bank estimates that 4 out of 5 children entering primary school today will eventually hold jobs that do not currently exist. 

To ensure stable futures for themselves, young people need to learn the right skills that fill changing market needs. For that, they need access to quality education. That’s why on World Youth Skills Day, we are encouraged to highlight the innovative teams building initiatives that foster the critical skills young people will need to thrive.