Youth employment and entrepreneurship

Youth employment in Thailand: Impact of the COVID-19 crisis and lessons for a human-centred recovery

The webinar organized by the ILO through the Young Futuremakers Thailand project focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on youth employment in Thailand, lessons from existing labour market policy responses for youth, and on opportunities to promote skills development and decent and productive employment for youth.

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1. Background

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, young people in Thailand were in a vulnerable labour market situation and faced constraints in their transition from school to work. The COVID-19 crisis has further exacerbate the situation through massive disruption to the economy and labour market in Thailand. Youth experienced job disruptions, disruptions in education and training, and difficulties transitioning from school to work and moving between jobs.

As Thailand begins to advance efforts towards a socio-economic recovery, targeted and effective support are needed to address the disproportional impact of the crisis on youth. The global call to action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, adopted at the International Labour Conference in June 2021, provides guidance on promoting youth employment through a human-centred recovery.

2. Objectives

The “Youth employment in Thailand: Impact of the COVID-19 crisis and lessons for a human-centred recovery “ webinar will be held on Monday, 11 October 2021 from 9.00 - 11.00 hrs. Organized by the ILO, through the Young Futuremakers Thailand project, supported by the Standard Chartered Foundation, the event aims to facilitate a dialogue on the impact of the crisis on youth employment in Thailand, lessons from existing labour market policy responses for youth, and opportunities to promote skills development and decent and productive employment for youth. The webinar provides a platform for policy makers, social partners, enterprises and other key stakeholders to exchange knowledge and lessons to shape an inclusive, sustainable and resilient human-centred recovery and future of work for youth in Thailand.

The event is organized in the context of the UN Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth with the following objectives:

gain knowledge about the labour market challenges and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth employment in Thailand;
share lessons from current labour market policy responses for youth; and
explore opportunities to strengthen support for skills development and employment opportunities towards a human-centred recovery for youth.

3. Audience

Government representatives
Representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations
Youth and civil society organizations
Researchers, think tanks and foundations
Private sector representatives
UN System entities, regional institutions and development partners
Partners of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, and other youth employment practitioners