The YouthXchange Green Skills and Lifestyles Guidebook
The YouthXchange Green Skills and Lifestyles Guidebook
The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org
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.
Slug
international-organizations
Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.
Anticipating and building skills for the future is essential to a rapidly changing labour market. This applies to changes in the types and levels of skills needed as well as in occupational and technical areas. Effective methods to anticipate future skills needs and avoid potential mismatches include: sustained dialogue between employers and trainers, coordination across government institutions, labour market information systems, employment services and performance reviews of training institutions.
Slug
anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs
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.
Case studies that document good practices and illustrate the benefits and lessons learnt of particular approaches or methods in real practice.
Slug
case-studies-and-good-practices
Slug
other-knowledge-products
Presentations, discussion papers, meeting reports, promotional materials, videos, fact sheets, brochures and newsletters on skills development for employment.
Slug
promotional-material
The YouthXchange Green Skills and Lifestyles Guidebook, developed by UNEP and UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization, is the second in a series of thematic guidebooks supporting the UNEP/UNESCO YouthXchange (YXC) Initiative. The first guidebook was on climate change and lifestyles. This initiative was created in 2001 to promote sustainable lifestyles among young people (15-24 years) through education, dialogue, awareness-raising and capacity-building. The series is produced for young people and the people working with them, such as educators, teachers, trainers and youth leaders around the world.
Today, young people under the age of 25 are the largest generation of youth in human history. They represent half of the world’s population, living mostly in developing countries. An estimated 33,000 young people are expected to enter the job market every day between now and 2050. This generation is highly educated, but they face steep barriers in securing decent jobs, entering and remaining in the labour market. With nearly 75 million unemployed young people around the world, they are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults.
Education about the green economy is essential to enable young people to participate fully in the transition to a low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive economy. Many young people
are aware of the green economy, but they need more information to understand how to make it real – locally, nationally and internationally.
This Guidebook helps young people connect the talk about the green economy, green societies and green jobs to their lifestyles. It focuses on the skills required to make these transitions – providing case studies and insight on green jobs and the skills they will require in terms of social innovation and entrepreneurship, the role of different stakeholders (government and private sector) and life skills.
