INVEST IN TOMORROW

Raise awareness and support youth skills development

According to the United Nations, young people are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than their adult counterparts.

Not only that, but young workers are also continuously exposed to lower quality jobs, greater labour market inequalities and longer, more insecure school–to–work transitions.

The success of any labour market rests mainly on the education and training of its employees, but many existing systems across the globe have failed to address the learning needs of young people, leaving them with low levels of achievement in basic numeracy and literacy. Making them hard to employ. To raise awareness on the importance of investing in youth skills development, the United Nations (UN) designated July 15 as World Youth Skills Day.

On this day, think about how you can ensure equitable and quality

education and promote learning opportunities for young men and women around your region.

It may be as simple as supporting your own children to develop not only their academic, but also their technical and vocational skills in preparation for when they enter the workforce.

Data from the UN shows that at least 475 million new jobs will need to be created over the next decade to absorb the 73 million unemployed youth, plus the 40 million new entrants to the labour market expected by 2029.

If you own a local business, perhaps you can think about taking on a work experience student, or offering internships to vulnerable youth from your region.

Spreading the news about the importance of an educated and trained workforce of tomorrow, is everyone’s job this month.