With interlinked global crises like climate change and poverty disproportionately impacting young people, it is imperative that we prioritize investing in youth to ensure they have the necessary skills and opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated economic fragility, causing youth unemployment to skyrocket. We must ramp up efforts in youth skills development through technical and vocational training while expanding access to quality education. By equipping young people with relevant digital, analytical, and soft skills, we can empower them to become drivers of sustainable growth rather than liabilities. This involves targeted initiatives like the Transforming Education Summit that engage key stakeholders to tackle this crisis. Ultimately, strategically investing in youth represents our best chance at achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and building an inclusive, thriving workforce.
COVID-19 and automation have accelerated workforce changes, widening skill gaps
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of change in the labor market, adding uncertainty and growing digital inequality. As highlighted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, these impacts are particularly pronounced for young people. In 2020 alone, youth employment fell by nearly 40 million, putting decades of progress towards sustainable livelihoods at risk. Meanwhile, 24 million young people could miss out on schooling, lacking skills for newly transformed sectors. Automation and AI were already disrupting industries before the pandemic hit, but COVID-19 has hastened the pace. This means even greater numbers of youth could be left behind without proper training. We must deliver effective future-oriented education and vocational programs that help young people reskill for high-growth fields.
Strategic investments in youth skills multiply returns across the SDGs
With youth representing tremendous potential for global development, investments that expand their access to income, education, and opportunities have resounding impacts. Each additional year of secondary schooling can raise an individual’s earnings by up to 25%, directly catalyzing poverty alleviation under SDG 1 while creating a more skilled workforce to power economic growth. Gender-sensitive skills training allows young women to access higher-wage roles, promoting gender equality under SDG 5. Extending technical and vocational programs to vulnerable youth populations helps build their resilience, delivering progress towards SDGs on inequality, decent work and reduced hunger. Crucially, skilled young innovators will play a leading role in developing solutions central to the clean energy and environmental sustainability targets of SDGs 7 and 13.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration vital to tackle youth unemployment
Realizing the potential of young people to drive progress relies on bringing together diverse groups to align priorities. As Guterres has organized the Transforming Education Summit for September 2022, collective action from governments, civil society and the private sector is needed to invest boldly in the futures of youth worldwide. Partnerships between schools and local industries help tailor training programs to labor market needs while companies that commit to inclusive hiring and skilling create new opportunities. Providing mentors, career guidance and support networks are other impactful measures. With strategic coordination, purpose-driven stakeholders globally can work hand-in-hand with young people themselves to build workforces that empower all generations.
By ramping up investments in youth skills development through technical education and training programs while improving access to technology, we can equip young people worldwide with the tools to build back better from COVID-19. This will empower them to become drivers of sustainable growth across key SDGs instead of liabilities, realizing the tremendous potential of youth populations for our collective futures.