The United Nations states that recent estimates suggest that 600 million jobs would have to be created world over in the next 15 years to meet youth employment needs.

World Youth Skills Day is observed on July 15. Deliberations are held to address the needs of young countries where skilling, upskilling and job-oriented training are on top agendas.  

Official data indicates that the total global number of unemployed youths is estimated to reach 73 million in 2022, which is a marginal improvement from 2021 (75 million). Yet it is six million above the pre-pandemic level of 2019.

This year, the focus has been on the thrust laid on teachers as primary proponents of skill education. In line with the same, the theme for World Youth Skills Day 2023 is ‘Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future’.  

The United Nations states that the share of youth not in employment, education, or training in 2020 (latest year for which a global estimate is available) rose to 23.3 per cent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the previous year and a level not seen in at least 15 years.

“The youth population will grow by more than 78 million between 2021 and 2030. Low-income countries will account for nearly half of that increase. Education and training systems need to respond to this challenge. An additional 8.4 million jobs for young people could be created by 2030 through the implementation of green and blue policy measures,” they estimate.

Bindu Ajit, Program Dean, Biocon Academy said, “The labor market is very dynamic; companies look for candidates with high quality technical as well as soft skills in addition to educational qualifications. At Biocon Academy we believe that the faculty should act as a catalyst between students and the biopharma industry. Hence training the trainers is an essential component of the overall campus-to-corporate process. If the faculty is trained to focus on industry needs, they can guide students towards acquiring knowledge and skills and towards a successful career. While students/candidates keep upgrading themselves, it is very essential for teachers, trainers, educators, or faculty members to ensure they are not only updated with subject knowledge, but also with techniques, processes, and industry practices.” – Bindu Ajit, Program Dean, Biocon Academy.

Meanwhile, Lakshmi Mittra, SVP and Head, Clover Academy called for empowering youth with data literacy.

“By equipping youth with data literacy skills, businesses can tap into a pool of talent that understands how to effectively collect, analyse, and interpret data. This will enable them to uncover valuable insights, identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions that drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and enhance overall business performance. Empowering the youth with data literacy skills further allows them to become valuable assets to businesses, enabling the leverage of data’s power for sustainable growth and staying ahead in the dynamic market environment.”

Also Read: Maths teacher arrested in Tumkur for excessive homework load