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Elicia Maxwell

World Youth Skills Day

Saturday 15th July 2023



Only 1/4 of the worlds young people are on track to learn the skills they need to get a job.


Background:

2014, United Nations General Assembly declared 15th July as World Youth Skills day. It emphasises the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. The theme this year is skilling teaches, trainers and youth for a transformative future. The aim is to reduce access barriers to the world of work, skills gained are relevant, recognised and certified, and offering skill development opportunities.


Technical and Vocational Education and Training:

Education and training are central for global achievements. Technical and vocational skills development and access to affordable quality materials. Elimination of gender disparity and ensuring access for the vulnerable. Improve the responsiveness to changing skill-demands by companies and communities, increasing productivity and wage levels.


Crucial skills necessary:

- social skills

- communication skills

- information literacy skills

- critical thinking

- problem solving


Significance:

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges the international community to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education is met and promoting learning opportunities for all. Technological advances are changing the nature of jobs, skills, education and training can help find productive employment and work (contribute to poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth).

It highlights the issue that equipping young people with skills is imperative. It is an opportunity to provide support to young people. It is an important reminder that accessing to learn important skills is right. Youth skill development is essential to build a strong and productive workforce. Realise your potential and secure a better future.


2022 Scottish Prison Service:

A collection of sessions were held to promote opportunities for employment and lifelong learning. There was facilitated interactions amongst the young people, technical and vocational education, businesses and training provider talks. HMP and YOI Polmont held an employability event with key internal and external stakeholders. It shows the prisons commitment to strengthening partnerships and ensuring learning and employment opportunities are available.


Statistics in practice:

- 404 billion dollars is edtech projected to globally attract by 2025. Recognised importance of technology and remote learning during the pandemic.

- Global unemployed youths is estimated to reach 73 million in 2022.

- 8.4 million jobs for young people could be created by 2030 through the implementation of green and blue policy measures.

- 63% of the proportion of the world youth is without digital skills.


How to address the widening youth skills gap?

As a result of the pandemic young people (especially from marginalised groups) have been left with inadequate access to education and skill-development opportunities. Societal implications include a deepened polarisation, erosion of institutional trust and social unrest. PwC are in collaboration with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited to further explore how to enable youth to obtain necessary skills to secure stable employment.

Three skill gaps: identify the skills needed for jobs of the digital future, help youth obtain those skills and create a system by which to certify the skills.

In closing the gap it is important to share knowledge, research, resources and practices. Create a national skills mapping system including taxonomy of general skills and categories to measure competences. Corporate training to support national skills being built through upskilling programmes and government policy frameworks. Build a national digital skills vertification trust platform, enabling younger indiviuals to register. Develop skills forums to improve information sharing among key stakeholders to address trends in the job market and identify skill gaps.


Until the next Legal Thought,


Elicia Maxwell


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