2014 ECOSOC Youth Forum
Skilling up youth critical for tackling jobs crisis
Experts and governments are calling for increased efforts to ensure young people have more and better skills in line with labour market demand.
13 June 2014
Today, more than 73 million youth are looking for work worldwide. Those who do work are often in precarious employment arrangements or toil in working poverty with little chance of escaping.
A side event to the 2014 ECOSOC Youth Forum organized in June by the Permanent Missions of Germany and Brazil together with WorldSkills and the ILO sought to tackle these issues. The event, which was attended by more than 100 participants, showcased the potential of technical and vocational education and training in the school-to-work transition of young people, and provided an opportunity to share knowledge and best practices from Brazil, Germany and the ILO.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations, Mr Heiko Thoms opened the discussion by deploring bleak job prospects facing many of the world’s youth today.
“A situation in which over 73 million young people are without employment worldwide and a world in which there is an insufficient supply of decent, formal, productive and safe work places for young people is not acceptable,” he said. But he also expressed hope that increased efforts to provide young people with better opportunities and the skills to meet their potential would help to improve the outlook.
Ms Jane Stewart, Special Representative to the UN and Director of ILO-New York noted that quality education is essential for a quality job. The 2012 ILO Call for Action provides concrete measures to promote youth employability and prevent skills mismatches. These include better linkages between education systems and the world of work, sectoral skills strategies and strengthened technical vocational education and training, including apprenticeships.
“Governments and social partners along with today's youth must rally more strongly together to push open the doors to the labour market so all young women and men have a chance at a decent job,” said Ms Stewart.
Mr. Hermann Nehls, Attaché for social issues at the German Embassy in Washington, noted two key challenges: increasing the interaction between education and the labour market and reducing youth unemployment. In Germany, the dual apprenticeship system promotes learning in the process of providing initial work experiences to young people. One of the key features is cooperation between governments, the business community and social partners. More than 40 per cent of an age cohort will ultimately graduate from the dual system.
Technical education is a sustainable way out of poverty, emphasized Mr. Mauricio Favero, Counsellor at the Brazilian Mission to the UN, and remains a priority of the Brazilian Government. Mr. Favero explained that the private sector supports the National Services for Industrial, Agricultural and Commercial Apprenticeships in Brazil through mandatory contributions.
Participants agreed that education systems from one country may not necessarily be successfully replicated in other countries, but relevant elements of successful systems should be identified. Ms. Stewart pointed out that every dollar spent on education and skills in developing economies can generate up to 15 dollars in economic growth.
The side event also featured young participants of WorldSkills competitions that aim to raise the profile of vocational career opportunities and highlight their contribution to society. Ms. Lee Won Jeong from the Republic of Korea won a Silver medal in Hairdressing and stressed that she felt more valuable after the competition and that her expertise was now well sought-after. For Mr. Henrique Baron from Brazil, Gold Medallist in Mechatronics, the competition was “like a World Cup,” and Mr. Tobias Becher from Germany, who won a Silver medal in Restaurant Service, emphasized the personal dimension of his experience in the competition.
The next WorldSkills competition will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2015
A side event to the 2014 ECOSOC Youth Forum organized in June by the Permanent Missions of Germany and Brazil together with WorldSkills and the ILO sought to tackle these issues. The event, which was attended by more than 100 participants, showcased the potential of technical and vocational education and training in the school-to-work transition of young people, and provided an opportunity to share knowledge and best practices from Brazil, Germany and the ILO.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations, Mr Heiko Thoms opened the discussion by deploring bleak job prospects facing many of the world’s youth today.
“A situation in which over 73 million young people are without employment worldwide and a world in which there is an insufficient supply of decent, formal, productive and safe work places for young people is not acceptable,” he said. But he also expressed hope that increased efforts to provide young people with better opportunities and the skills to meet their potential would help to improve the outlook.
Ms Jane Stewart, Special Representative to the UN and Director of ILO-New York noted that quality education is essential for a quality job. The 2012 ILO Call for Action provides concrete measures to promote youth employability and prevent skills mismatches. These include better linkages between education systems and the world of work, sectoral skills strategies and strengthened technical vocational education and training, including apprenticeships.
“Governments and social partners along with today's youth must rally more strongly together to push open the doors to the labour market so all young women and men have a chance at a decent job,” said Ms Stewart.
Mr. Hermann Nehls, Attaché for social issues at the German Embassy in Washington, noted two key challenges: increasing the interaction between education and the labour market and reducing youth unemployment. In Germany, the dual apprenticeship system promotes learning in the process of providing initial work experiences to young people. One of the key features is cooperation between governments, the business community and social partners. More than 40 per cent of an age cohort will ultimately graduate from the dual system.
Technical education is a sustainable way out of poverty, emphasized Mr. Mauricio Favero, Counsellor at the Brazilian Mission to the UN, and remains a priority of the Brazilian Government. Mr. Favero explained that the private sector supports the National Services for Industrial, Agricultural and Commercial Apprenticeships in Brazil through mandatory contributions.
Participants agreed that education systems from one country may not necessarily be successfully replicated in other countries, but relevant elements of successful systems should be identified. Ms. Stewart pointed out that every dollar spent on education and skills in developing economies can generate up to 15 dollars in economic growth.
The side event also featured young participants of WorldSkills competitions that aim to raise the profile of vocational career opportunities and highlight their contribution to society. Ms. Lee Won Jeong from the Republic of Korea won a Silver medal in Hairdressing and stressed that she felt more valuable after the competition and that her expertise was now well sought-after. For Mr. Henrique Baron from Brazil, Gold Medallist in Mechatronics, the competition was “like a World Cup,” and Mr. Tobias Becher from Germany, who won a Silver medal in Restaurant Service, emphasized the personal dimension of his experience in the competition.
The next WorldSkills competition will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2015