The United Nations(UN)’s World Youth Skills Day is annually observed across the globe on 15th July to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2023 observed on 15th July 2023 is “Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future”.
- The 2023 theme highlights the importance of teachers, trainers and other educators’ role in providing skills for youth to transition to the labour market and to actively engage in their communities and societies.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/169/145 in December 2014 and proclaimed the July 15 of every year as the World Youth Skills Day.
- The resolution was initiated by Sri Lanka and supported by G77 (Group of 77) and China.
ii.The first ever World Youth Skills Day was observed on 15th July 2015.
Significance:
The day offers an opportunity for discussion between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, firms, employers’ and workers’ organizations, policymakers and development partners.
Importance of TVET:
i.Education and training play a major role in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
ii.Education 2030 Incheon Declaration constitutes the commitment of the education community to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”
iii.Education 2030 devotes considerable attention to technical and vocational skills development, specifically regarding access to affordable quality TVET.
iv.TVET can equip youth with the skills that are required to access work, including skills for self-employment.
- It can also reduce access barriers to the world of work, for example through work-based learning, and ensuring that skills gained are recognised and certified.
2023 Event:
High Level Panel:
As a part of the World Youth Skills Day 2023, the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka to the United Nations, in collaboration with UNESCO, ILO, and the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, organised a High Level Panel event at UN headquarters at New York, the United States of America(USA).
- The event aims to engage the member states, young experts, social partners, teachers, educators, and other stakeholders in a discussion about enhancing the skills of teachers, trainers, and youth to pave the way for a transformative future.
YouthLead Innovation Spotlight:
YouthLead Innovation Spotlight hosted on 14th July 2023, ahead of the World Youth Skills Day, to convene a dialogue on the importance of multistakeholder collaboration to enable future-proof skills for youth through trainers’ and teachers’ empowerment.
Hybrid event organised by UNESCO-UNEVOC:
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) -UNEVOC and WorldSkills International jointly organised a hybrid event to showcase the positive impact of youth skills development on societies and economies.
About The UNESCO – UNEVOC :
The UNESCO – UNEVOC International Centre for TVET is one of 8 UNESCO institutes and centres working in the field of education.
The acronym UNEVOC is a combination of ‘UNESCO’ and ‘vocational education’.
Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC– Friedrich Huebler
Headquarters– Bonn, Germany
