World Youth Skills Day 2024: Youth skills for peace and development
Dr Matiur Rahman :
World Youth Skills Day, celebrated annually on July 15, has gained significant importance since its inception by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. This day highlights the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills essential for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.
The theme for 2024, “Youth Skills for Peace and Development,” underscores the crucial role young people play in peace building and conflict resolution. It emphasises the necessity of preparing them to navigate and tackle today’s global challenges.
Today’s world faces a pressing crisis, with numerous challenges disproportionately affecting the youth. Violent conflicts disrupt education systems and social stability, while a polarised online environment often exacerbates negativity and division.
Persistent economic disparities limit opportunities for many young people, threatening their personal futures and society’s overall stability and development. The need for immediate action to equip young people with the necessary skills is more urgent than ever.
In such a context, equipping young people with the necessary skills is not just a matter of economic survival but also essential for fostering a culture of peace, nurturing responsible global citizens, and promoting sustainable development. These efforts are crucial for building a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable future for all.
On World Youth Skills Day, we are reminded of young people’s vital role as agents of peace and development. Recognising this potential is the first step, and as policymakers, educators, employers, and development partners, it is equally essential that we commit to providing them with the skills and opportunities needed to address contemporary challenges effectively.
Empowering youth through education and training is a shared responsibility that enables them to contribute meaningfully to creating a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future.Since its declaration in 2014, World Youth Skills Day has served as a significant platform for dialogue among young people.
This dialogue involves technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, employers, workers’ organisations, policymakers, and development partners. It underscores the growing importance of skill development in our transition towards a sustainable development model. Events and discussions on this day reinforce the understanding that skills are central to individual empowerment and broader economic and social stability.
TVET lies at the heart of the theme “Youth Skills for Peace and Development.” Education and training are crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The Incheon Declaration: Education 2030 highlights the need to develop technical and vocational skills, ensure access to affordable, quality TVET, and address gender disparities while providing access for vulnerable populations.
TVET is critically essential in meeting the multifaceted demands of today’s economic, social, and environmental landscapes. By helping youth and adults develop skills necessary for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship, TVET promotes equitable, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. It supports the transition to a green economy and enhances environmental sustainability.
TVET can equip young people with the skills needed to enter the workforce, including skills for self-employment. It improves responsiveness to changing skills demands from companies and communities, increases productivity, and raises wage levels.
A significant advantage of TVET is its potential to lower barriers to entering the world of work. For instance, work-based learning ensures that acquired skills are recognised and certified, thus improving employability.
TVET also offers development opportunities for low-skilled, unemployed, or underemployed individuals, out-of-school youth, and those not in education, employment, or training (NEETs). These programs provide a lifeline for many young people, enabling them to acquire the skills needed to participate effectively in the labour market.
The theme “Youth Skills for Peace and Development” resonates deeply in today’s global context. Peace and development are inextricably linked; sustainable development is unattainable without peace, and peace is elusive without development.
Skill development is a crucial element of this relationship. When young people are equipped with the right skills, they are more likely to find meaningful employment, contribute to their communities, and engage in civic activities. This fosters a sense of purpose and ownership, essential for peaceful societies.
Youth-led conflict resolution and peace building initiatives exemplify how skill development can make a tangible difference. Trained in dialogue, mediation, and negotiation, young people have played supportive roles in resolving conflicts and bridging divides within communities.
These skills are essential not only in war-torn areas but also in regions facing social and economic disparities. By promoting a culture of peace through conversation and understanding, young people can help prevent conflicts from escalating.
The role of technology in skill development is undeniable. In today’s digital age, technological skills are increasingly important. The demand for tech-savvy professionals is growing from coding and digital marketing to data analysis and artificial intelligence. Acquiring these skills opens up numerous opportunities for young people, enhancing their employability and empowering them to drive innovation and change.
Global education systems are evolving to integrate skill development into their curricula, aligning it with the needs of today’s job market. For example, once specialised fields such as coding and software development are now taught as fundamental subjects in many schools. This growing trend is preparing young people to enter the future workforce well-equipped.
World Youth Skills Day 2024 reminds us that skill development is more than just empowering our youth; it is a powerful tool for building a peaceful, equitable, and sustainable world. Through an inclusive and integrated approach to skill development, we can prepare our youth to face future challenges and help them realise their dreams and aspirations, ultimately transforming society for the better.
(The writer is a researcher and
development worker.)
