Agenda of the Youth Employment Forum

As youth unemployment reaches unprecedented levels in many countries, the ILO will hold a global Youth Employment Forum to address the challenges young people face in the labour market, from 23–25 May 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Forum will gather a hundred young men and women involved in the promotion of decent work for youth.

Agenda | 09 May 2012

LEARNING DAY: Day 1 – 23 May

7:30Registration
  
 8:30What does the ILO stand for?
We have a brief introduction about the ILO.
Marcia Poole, Director Communication and Public Information Department (DCOMM),
Azita Berar Awad, Director Employment Policy Department (EMP/POLICY),
Gianni Rosas, Coordinator Youth Employment Programme (YEP).
  
 9:00Welcome and introduction
We get to know each other, our backgrounds, where we come from and gain a sense of who is in the room, and the objectives of the Forum.
Opening Remarks:
  • Juan Somavia, Director-General, ILO
  • Francisco Javier Ruiz Lopez, Confederacion Patronal de la Republica Mexicana
  • Phindile Kunene, Congress of South African Trade Unions
  • Romulo Dantas, YMCA
Facilitatos: Emil Chireno and Elodie Goury
  
 10:30Why decent work matters to us?
We discuss why decent work matters to young people and to society.
  
11:35The youth employment crisis: let us share the knowledge and experience
What are the facts behind the current crisis? How did we get into this? What does research tell us about it? And what is the reality in different regions and countries of the world?
In a plenary, key findings from studies and reports (including the background report for the ILC and the synthesis of national events) and experiences are shared. We comment on it – real-time.
Moderator: Chris Bashinelli (Young Executive Producer)
Presentations:
  • Ola El-Taliawi, Teaching Assistant, American University in Cairo
  • Marc-Hippolyte Jandrain and Audrey Campbell, ILO YEP
  • Miguel Angel Carreon, Director of the National Youth Institute of Mexico
Panel discussion:
  • Santa Ozolina, Policy Officer Employment and Social Affairs, European Youth Forum
  • Andile Lungisa, President, Union Panafricaine de la Jeunesse
  • Alejo Ramirez, Secretary General, Oganización Iberoamericana de Juventud
  • Rahul Mirchandani, President, Commonwealth Asia Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs
  • Farah Osman, Programme Associate, Education for Employment Foundation
  
 14:00Marketplace 1
Several UN entities, youth organizations and the ILO come together to share information on innovative approaches to youth employment.
  
16:00Taking a closer look: key issues on decent work for youth
We look in detail at the six key issues relating to decent work for youth:
Session A: 16:00 - 17:00

500 million jobs needed for youth: Where from?Young Facilitator: Alina Rodriguez, ILO YEP
Experts:
  • Anantha Krishnan, UNHABITAT
  • Iyanatul Islam, ILO EMP/POLICY
  • Theodoor Sparreboom, ILO EMP/TRENDS
What education and training are needed for work?
Young Facilitator: Constantina Kostami
Experts:
  • Isabel Alvarez-Rodriguez, IADB
  • Susana Puerto Gonzalez, YEN Secretariat
  • Laura Brewer, ILO EMP/SKILLS
How to facilitate job search and transitions to decent jobs?Young Facilitator: Audrey Campbell, ILO YEP
Experts:
  • Rosemary Vargas-Lundius, IFAD
  • Donna Koeltz, ILO EMP/SKILLS
  • Sriani Ameratunga, ILO EMP/POLICY
Session B: 17:10 - 18:10

What about job quality and rights?
Young Facilitator: Rafael Muela, ILO YEP
Experts:
  • Beate Andrees, ILO DECLARATION
  • Maria Prieto, ILO YEP
  • Patrick Belser, ILO TRAVAIL
What role do entrepreneurship and social enterprises play?
Young Facilitator: Manuel Gonzalez, ILO YEP
Experts:
  • Maria Elena Chavez, ILO EMP/COOP
  • Valerie Lorena, Young Americas Business Trust
  • Markus Pilgrim, ILO EMP/SEED
How do we ensure participation and empowerment? 
 Young Facilitator: Malik Samassekou
Experts:
  • Nicola Shepherd, UNDESA
  • Matthieu Cognac, ILO RO-Asia and the Pacific
  • Hilde Roren, ILO GENDER
  
18:10Reception
Welcome reception by the ILO

INNOVATION DAY: Day 2 - 24 May

 9:30Recap of day 1
A group of participants presents a summary of the work of the previous day.
  
 9:50Youth transitions to decent work: what works?
We listen to presentations of different good practices on youth employment: What can we learn from them? What is applicable and transferable elsewhere? What ideas and thoughts are triggered by these examples?
Introduction: Berenice Alcalde, ILO YEP
Presentations of good practices:
  • India: Amir Abidi
  • Jordan: Rasha Elayan
  • Peru: Katie Pilar Hurtado
  • Turkey: Burcu Gunduz
  • Zimbabwe: Itai Emannuel Muguza
Panel with José Manuel Salazar.Xirinachs, Executive Director, ILO Employment Sector. 
  
11:35Marketplace 2
Several UN entities, youth organizations and the ILO come together to share information on innovative approaches to youth employment.
11:35-12:35: TV Panel: Lost in transition? Averting a jobless generation.
Panel discussion where experts and journalists will address the topic of youth transitions to decent work.
Moderator: Hon. Jane Stewart, Former Special Representative/Director, ILO Office to the UN in New York. Former Minister of Human Resources, Canada
Panel:
  • Louisa Peacock, Jobs Editor, The Daily Telegraph
  • Fadi Salem, Director of the Governance and Innovation Programme at the Dubai School of Government
  • Xin Liu, Correspondent CCTV
  • José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Director, ILO Employment Sector
 
  
 14:00Group work on key themes
We use what we learned so far to go into greater depth on the six themes discussed during day one.
  
17:30Playback theatre: Youth and work
We are all invited to a play as scriptwriters, directors and actors

ACTION DAY: Day 3 - 25 May

 9:30Recap day 2/Exchanging our visions
On the afternoon of day 2, we explored our visions and options to tackle the youth employment crisis. The outputs of the group discussions will be presented.
  
 10:40Video-contest awards
The three best videos submitted for the video-contest will be shown to all participants and the authors will receive an award.
Moderator: Emanuela Campanella, ILO YEP
  
 11:40Open space for discussion and informal networking
We are a community of young leaders and we brainstorm on how we will move forward and contribute to making things happen in our countries.
  
14:30Summing up: key issues and ideas
Drawing on the three-day Forum, we will discuss a summary of key issues and ideas to be shared through an informal presentation to the Committee on Youth Employment of the International Labour Conference.
  
 16:10Closing
The Director-General of the ILO will close the Forum.