Unlocking the Potential of the Future

“Skills are the currency of the future,” says Brad Jefferson. In today’s competitive world, skills are vital to achieve goals effectively and efficiently. They contribute to the modern world's workspace and personal development. Such skills are mandatory to be consumed by every individual to stand out of the box and attain their goals successfully.

Honouring World Youth Skills Day      Source: Vector Stock

Talent is different from skills. Talent is natural, inborn, and innate, while skills can be acquired through education, experience, and training, especially for youngsters, the future of the nation. Enhancing their skills prevents them from unemployment as the economy of the world is changing at a rapid pace. Hence, to create awareness of the necessity of equipping skills for the youth, the United Nations General Assembly announced July 15 as World Youth Skills Day, in 2015.

The UN has recognised that youth are suffering from unemployment globally. They tracked that the situation of not finding employment is due to a lack of proper education and training for future careers. The figures of youth unable to get an education, employment, or training has crossed over millions. This research and data invited the UN and other organisations concerns and they started to emphasize Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) that allows people to work as technicians. Thus, they help the youth to meet TVET companies, institutions, employers and workers organisations, and development partners.

The initiation of TVET has benefitted in multiple ways. One of the major merits is that it creates a high positive impact on a person’s self-esteem, motivation, and attitude. TVET results in creating better employment opportunities with higher earning levels. They increase job satisfaction with an increase in flexibility and mobility through lifelong learning. TVET meets socioeconomic demands by helping young people gain the skills they need to employ, do decent work, and start a business, promoting equitable, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, and supporting environmental sustainability and the transition to green economies.

Every year, World Youth Skills Day is celebrated with different themes to celebrate and motivate young people towards acquiring skills. Various themes were adopted such as Skills for a Resilient Youth, Youth Skills for Sustainability and Innovation, Innovation and Sustainability, Skills for the Future of Work, Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment and Youth Skills for Life in the Post-2015 Agenda.

There are many ways to observe this day. Several events are conducted in different cities by the United Nations globally. Essay writing, photography, skill-based competitions, conferences, workshops, seminars, campaigns, awareness-creating activities, and presentations by educators and employers along with panel discussions. There is also a discussion over the importance of vocational training for youth. Talk to children about the vital role of skill development and its beneficiaries. Create awareness of the available platforms that are working to bridge the skills gap like TVET. Learn, discuss, and resolve the issues and problems faced by youth in the field of education and employment. Through these, the youth as well as the adults also understand the importance of investing in youth skills enhancement.

The observation of World Youth Skills Day highlights the significance of inculcating skills in youth to face challenges and accept the opportunities of this competitive world. Equipping the youth with the necessary skills would empower them to thrive in the ever-changing world and contribute to economic growth with greater sustainability. Thus, forming a better community with a brighter future.