World Youth Skills Day
Expressing concern at the high number of unemployed youth, estimated globally at 74.5 million in 2013, the majority of whom live in developing countries, Noting that Member States have an important role in meeting the needs and aspirations of youth, particularly in developing countries,
Recognizing that fostering the acquisition of skills by youth would enhance their ability to make informed choices with regard to life and work and empower them to gain access to changing labour markets, the United Nations General Assembly
1. Decides to designate by the resolution A/RES/69/145; the 15 July as World Youth Skills Day;
2. Invites all Member States, the organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including youth-led organizations, to commemorate World Youth Skills Day in an appropriate manner, in accordance with national priorities, including through education, campaigns, volunteering and public awareness-raising activities;
3. Stresses that the cost of all activities that may arise from the implementation of the present resolution should be met from voluntary contributions;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Member and observer States and all organizations of the United Nations system.
FORUM: World Youth Skills Day 2020, July 15 - ''Skills for a Resilient Youth in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.''
World Youth Skills Day 2020 will take place in a challenging context. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have led to the worldwide closure of Vocational and Technical Education training (TVET) institutions, threatening the continuity of Personal skills development. It is estimated that nearly 70% of the world’s learners are affected by school closures across education levels currently. Respondents to a survey of TVET institutions, jointly collected by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the International Labour Organizationi (ILO) and the World Bank, reported that distance training has become the most common way of imparting skills, with considerable difficulties regarding, among others, curricula adaptation, trainee and trainer preparedness, connectivity, or assessment and certification processes. Prior to the current crisis, young people aged 15-24 were three times more likely than adults to be unemployed and often faced a prolonged school-to-work transition period. In post-COVID-19 societies, as young people are called upon to contribute to the recovery effort, they will need to be equipped with the skills to successfully manage evolving challenges and the resilience to adapt to future disruptions.
Virtual Event :
The importance of developing skilled youth is at the core of this year’s message for World Youth Skills Day. Several virtual events focused on the theme of “Skills for a Resilient Youth” will take place. On 15 July, join an online panel discussions organized by the Permanent Mission of Portugal and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations New York, together with UNESCO, International Labour Organization and the UN Youth Envoy. During the event, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder launched the ILO Toolkit for Quality Apprenticeships, Volume II for Practitioners , as well as announce the winner of the ILO Skills Challenge Innovation Call, a global competition to identify innovative approaches to address skills mismatch. The Director-General highlighted ILO’s commitment to a better future of work for youth. ‘We call for urgent, large scale and targeted skills - and employment policy responses to prevent the COVID-19 crisis from inflicting long-lasting damage to a generation of young people.’
Know more about
Selected Publications
Global & Regional Programmes
Get trained
Key Resources
Guide to Measuring Decent Jobs for Youth.
Monitoring, evaluation and learning in labour market programmes.Guide to international labour standards and rights at work concerning young people.
The youth employment crisis: A call for action .
Resolution adopted at the 101st International LabourYouth Bulge: A Demographic Dividend or a Demographic Bomb in Developping countries.
President of the General Assembly statement to the World Youth Skills Day 2020.
The President of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said that young people are key agents in the fight against climate change, the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and achieving the 2030 Agenda but are also particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a video statement to the Webinar Event on World Youth Skills Day 2020, the President of the General Assembly called on all stakeholders to use the event to discuss concrete solutions to empowering young people with the right skills for the era of COVID-19 and beyond adding, 'Building Back Better' is only possible if we invest in our young generation, empower their participation in society and increase their access to education, training and jobs.