Every year “World Youth Skills Day” is celebrated on 15th July. The day highlights the importance of having skills and being a skilled workforce all over the world. It also shows the nation’s ability to face the challenges and the need to upgrade the skills of Youth in different aspects.
In December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 15th July as the “World Youth Skills Day.” The main objective was to achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth as a means of addressing different challenges faced due to unemployment and underemployment.
Theme for the year 2023
The theme of this year for World Youth Skills Day, 2023 is to upskill teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative and better future. This year “World Youth Skills Day” is going to highlight how teachers and trainers play an important role in shaping the future of youth.
This gives an opportunity to the youth to actively participate in their communities and cultures. UN Secretary-General Antionio Guterres said: “Equipping young people with quality education is essential.” Teachers are the main pillars who are at the forefront of this mission.
The United Nations addresses the barriers to skills and competencies by reducing barriers to getting employed. The United Nations and its organisations also see that the skills of young people are recognised and accredited. They also provide skill development opportunities for out-of-school children and people who need more employment, education, or training.
Importance of teachers in upgrading skills
As teachers are like guiding stars to the students so they need to upgrade themselves or at least have knowledge of different skills that are in demand. It becomes important to learn those skills and provide skills to youth according to the need or demand in the labour market. This will keep them connected and engaged with the skills needed at local as well as global level.
Today, different adaptable skills are needed to be introduced due to improvement in technology. It becomes important to empower the young people to navigate these transitions effectively. There is another side of the coin where we find some percentages of youth are not keen on education, employment, and training so it is a challenge to train them and certify with relevant, recognised certifications.
Furthermore, promoting green skills and practices, introducing to them skill development opportunities for the ones who are uneducated can be of help to develop confidence to be in the labour market. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is well placed to meet these demands reducing access barriers to the world of work ensuring that skills gained are relevant. Teachers play an important role in motivating and inspiring students to take up these skills for a transformative future.
Role of Parents: the first teacher
Parents have always been the first teacher to their own children and the children in the neighbourhood. It is also parents’ responsibility as a responsible citizen to guide their children and the children of maid servants, drivers, guards, gardeners etc.
Today’s youth has to be motivated and made to understand that he/she has to upgrade different skills required in various fields. They need to develop a set of core life skills along with technical skills to manage school, work, outside interests, and relationships successfully. They need to focus on their career and explore new avenues while they are studying.
They should not wait till their final year to upgrade skills as they need to understand that skills are the part of their career which will develop their confidence, overall personality, and pave way to give different opportunities. One needs to hone good communication skills which will keep them connected to people from their field, communities, and cultures from local to global level.
Conclusion
As teachers and trainers let us celebrate “World Youth Skills Day” by contributing in whatever we can to hone the skills of youth required in the labour market. This will for sure help to reduce unemployment and under employment in our country and use the human resource in a constructive way to develop overall stability in our country. Let us make the Youth confident to face the challenges and believe in making a transformative better future. Best wishes to the “Youth of the World”.