World Youth Skills Day

Young people are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and continuously exposed to lower quality of jobs, greater labor market inequalities, and longer and more insecure school-to-work transitions. In addition, women are more likely to be underemployed and under-paid, and to undertake part-time jobs or work under temporary contracts.

One reason for youth unemployment is structural unemployment, a mismatch between the skills that workers in the economy can offer and the skills demanded of workers by employers. Structural unemployment affects all regions around the world and it impacts not only economies but also hampers the transition to equitable and inclusive societies envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to make a smooth transition to work. Skills and jobs for youth feature prominently in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and SDG target 4.4 calls for a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills.

World Youth Skills Day

In December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 15th July as World Youth Skills Day. The goal is to achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth as a means of addressing the challenges of unemployment and under employment.

World Youth Skills Day 2024

The theme for 2024 World Youth Skills Day is "Youth Skills for Peace and Development".

The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2024, "Youth Skills for Peace and Development," underscores the crucial role young people play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

The world faces a multitude of challenges today, many of which affect the youth. Violent conflicts disrupting 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.

On World Youth Skills Day, let us unite in recognizing the potential of young people as agents of peace and commit to providing them with the skills and opportunities to address challenges and contribute to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future.

Did You Know?

• Recent estimates suggest that 600 million jobs would have to be created over the next 15 years to meet youth employment needs.
• In 2021, approximately 75 million young people were unemployed, 408 million were employed, and 732 million were out of the labor force globally.
• The share of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2020 – the latest year for which a global estimate is available – rose to 23.3 per cent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the previous year and a level not seen in at least 15 years.
• The youth population will grow by more than 78 million between 2021 and 2030. Low income countries will account for nearly half of that increase. Education and training systems need to respond to this challenge.
• Good-quality apprenticeships, well-designed internships, and volunteering initiatives can provide entry points into the labor market for first-time jobseekers and young graduates.

Source: UN

Related resources

• UNESCO-UNEVOC Youth and Skills
• WorldSkills
• United Nations resolution on WYSD
• United Nations - World Youth Report (WYR)