Virtual conference on skills for a resilient youth
English
Information is gathered from other international organizations that promote skills development and the transition from education and training to work. The Interagency Group on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IAG-TVET) was established in 2009 to share research findings, coordinate joint research endeavours, and improve collaboration among organizations working at the international and national levels.
Access to training
Access for all to good quality education, vocational training and workplace learning is a fundamental principle of social cohesion and economic growth. Some groups of people may require targeted attention if they are to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities.
This is particularly the case for disadvantaged youth, lower skilled workers, people with disabilities, and people in rural communities. The attractiveness of vocational education and training is enhanced when combined with entrepreneurship training and when public policies encourage utilization of higher skills by business.
Youth employability
Globally, nearly 68 million young women and men are looking for and available for work, and an estimated 123 million young people are working but living in poverty. The number who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) stands at 267 million, a majority of whom are young women. Significantly, young people are three times as likely as adults (25 years and older) to be unemployed.
Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to make a smooth transition to work. A comprehensive approach is required to integrate young women and men in the labour market, including relevant and quality skills training, labour market information, career guidance and employment services, recognition of prior learning, incorporating entrepreneurship with training and effective skills forecasting. Improved basic education and core work skills are particularly important to enable youth to engage in lifelong learning as well as transition to the labour market.
This virtual conference on Skills for a Resilient Youth is moderated by Terry Neal from the Commonwealth of Learning. It is organized as part of the celebration for World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) 2020, and coordinated by UNESCO-UNEVOC in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning.
Every year on 15 July, the global community celebrates World Youth Skills Day. The day is an opportunity for young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and public and private sector stakeholders to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
World Youth Skills Day 2020 will take place in a challenging context. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is substantially affecting education and training sectors worldwide in two ways:
• Institutional level
• Systemic level
While the pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges, in many cases it further intensified existing issues affecting TVET systems, including difficulties in harnessing the benefits of digitalization and mainstreaming entrepreneurial learning. Prior to the current crisis, young people aged 15-24 were two to three times more likely than adults to be un- or under-employed and often faced a prolonged school-to-work transition period. In post COVID-19 societies, as young people seek employment and are called upon to contribute to the recovery effort, they will need to be equipped with the relevant skills for today as well as the competencies to successfully manage evolving challenges and adapt to future disruptions. Moving forward, it is important to:
• Ensure that young people around the world continue to have access to quality education and training opportunities, while keeping communities safe
• Identify future skills needs and develop responsiveness to short-, medium- and long-term impacts.
For more information and to register, click on the link provided below.