World Youth Skills Day

“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. The world is facing an urgent skills crisis. The United Nations (UN) adds that 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 and a cycle of poverty. The plight of young men in particular should be of concern. In many instances young men leave educational institutions prematurely in order to find work so as to maintain their families. In patriarchal societies males are expected to be the breadwinners as well as to carry out traditional roles assigned to each sex. Many of these young men will have developed survival skills; unfortunately, only few would have developed sustainable skills. Therefore, the discussion surrounding such an important day for youth must take a multi-pronged approach. Once these males leave school it is challenging to motivate them to return to a system of formal education with structures and rules. On the other hand, the young women are more likely to return to school in order to equip themselves with the skills set necessary to survive. The world is at a crossroads and innovative measures are urgently needed. The global community faces a multitude of challenges today, many of which affect the youth. Violent conflicts continue to disrupt 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. 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 peace building and conflict resolution. The United Nations (UN) states that in 2021, approximately 75 million young people were unemployed, 408 million were employed, and 732 million were out of the labor force globally. Additionally, recent estimates suggest that 600 million jobs would have to be created over the next 15 years to meet youth employment needs. State of the Youth . There is no universally agreed international definition of the youth age group. For statistical purposes, however, the United Nations (UN) defines ‘youth’ as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. This definition was endorsed by the General Assembly. All UN statistics on youth are based on this definition, as is reflected in the annual yearbooks of statistics published by the UN system on demography, education, employment and health. Although youth unemployment is a big issue globally, it is especially so across many Caribbean countries. Caribbean youth unemployment levels are reported to be the highest in the world (Youth Unemployment and Labour in the Caribbean, Caribbean Knowledge Series, January 2014). According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica's (STATIN), the unemployment rate for youth, age 14 to 24, was 15.5 per cent in April 2022, an 8.6-percentage point decline compared to the same period last year. Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of the global population. By 2030 the number of youth is projected to have grown by 7 per cent, to nearly 1.3 billion. As youth are increasingly demanding more just, equitable and progressive opportunities and solutions in their societies, the need to address the multifaceted challenges faced by young people (such as access to education, health, employment and gender equality) have become more pressing than ever. Importance of World Youth Skill Day. 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, policy 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. The Role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Education and training are central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. 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 recognized 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). Education is a fundamental right for youth everywhere. Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all. To achieve this, there is a need for concerted efforts to ensure that young women and men have access to free, equitable and quality education, as well as targeted training opportunities. Sustainable Development Goal #8 contextualizes the call for decent work. For young people, the issues of unemployment, underemployment and poor job quality have proven to be persistent and daunting. Sustainable Development Goal 13, aims to combat climate change and its impacts by taking urgent action. Climate change and environmental degradation are equity issues that undermine the rights of every child, especially the most disadvantaged. Young people are not only victims of climate change. They are also valuable contributors to climate action. This conversion regarding World Youth Skills Day must involve the voices of the youth. Too often the adults in the room take control of the narrative. As a result policy-makers find that the skills and training that are being offered to the youths are not what they have an interest in. Transformative Approach. The transformation of Jamaica’s education system calls for a realignment of the basic structures and principles which underpins the system in order to empower and enrich the lives of the youth. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states, education systems need to be reoriented to equip learners with the knowledge, values, and abilities to act for the betterment of all people and the planet, as responsible citizens of a global community. Education can only be truly transformative when our students feel appreciated, safe and are included in the learning community as full and active participants. This process begins by preventing and addressing school violence and bullying, gender-based violence, as well as age and gender related discrimination towards learners and educators. Teachers are expected to transform their teaching, for example, ensuring that the curriculum, pedagogy, learning materials, schools or learning environments are meaningful in the natural, political, economic, and cultural contexts. For education to be of high quality, it must be transformative. There exists an urgent need for more enrichment programmes to be infused in the education system. The failure of the education system is again on display regarding how we assist our youth to transition to the world of work. What is requited is a more targeted and robust programme to aid in this phase of the development of our youth. There is an overemphasis as it relates to exit external examinations. Sadly, the education system is lacking in how to help students to transition to the labour force and this needs to be rectified. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center indicates a significant shift in public opinion, with nearly half of Americans now feeling that a four-year college degree is less essential for securing a high-paying job than it was 20 years ago. It is critical that an inclusive approach be pursued where the opinions of the youth are heard and woven into policies. It is also important that a transformation of the education system take place driven by a youth focus. On this World Youth Skills Day let us be mindful that youth can be a positive force for development when provided with the knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive. In particular, young people should acquire the education and skills needed to contribute in a productive economy; and they need access to a job market that can absorb them into the labour force. Happy World Youth Skills Day. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #WorldYouthSkillsDay