July 15: A day that reminds us about ‘skilling the youth’ of the world

Team Udayavani, Jul 15, 2022, 2:11 PM IST

Youth are the future of the world. With immense energy and enthusiasm, youngsters have the potential to change the world as we know it today. However, to make it a reality they need a crucial element – ‘Skills’. They need to be equipped with the right skills and knowledge to succeed.

To this end, every year on July 15, people worldwide commemorate World Youth Skills Day. This day is dedicated to teaching young people all across the world the necessary skills so they can find work. The day aids in raising awareness of the value of skills in obtaining good employment possibilities.

World Youth Skills Day in 2022 occurs as all nations are still attempting to recover socioeconomically from the COVID-19 epidemic. As a result, it can act as a platform for the economic gains that countries can achieve through educating the next generation.

In December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed July 15 as World Youth Skills Day. The goal was to address the issue of unemployment and better the socioeconomic circumstances of today’s youngsters. Since its beginnings, World Youth Skills Day has promoted communication between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) organizations, enterprises, governments, and development partners.

The significance of competent young people in addressing existing and upcoming global challenges is also highlighted by the day. It is well known that Skill India is a federal government initiative that was started to empower youth, increase their employability, and increase their productivity in the workplace.

World Youth Skills Day will take place this year in a tough environment because of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown procedures that have caused TVET institutions to close globally, highlighting the importance of skills development.

Across all educational levels, UNESCO estimates that nearly 70% of the world’s students are impacted by school closures. According to a survey of TVET institutions conducted jointly by UNESCO, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the World Bank, distance learning is now the most popular way to teach skills, but it still has significant challenges, including adapting curricula, preparing students and instructors, connectivity issues, and assessment and certification procedures.

The biggest issue now affecting economies and societies worldwide, in both industrialized and emerging nations, is the rising rate of youth unemployment. The number of young people who are neither employed nor enrolled in school or training has increased during 2017, according to the most recent Global Trends for Youth 2020: Technology and the Future of Jobs report (NEET). According to estimates, NEET status was assigned to approximately 259 million young people in 2016, 267 million in 2019, and 273 million in 2021.

Authored by Rajasik Mukherjee, Media and Communication student at Manipal Institute of Communication.