Youth Skills for Peace and Development

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, as well as for addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development.

The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2024 is Youth Skills for Peace and Development. It highlights the crucial role that young people play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts.

The world faces a multitude of challenges today, many of which affect the youth. Violent conflicts disrupting education and stability, a polarized online environment fostering negativity, and persistent economic inequality limits opportunities. These issues threaten not only individual futures but also the overall stability of societies. It is crucial to equip youth with the necessary skills for fostering a culture of peace, nurturing responsible global citizens, and promoting sustainable development to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.

On World Youth Skills Day, let us unite in recognizing the potential of young people as agents of peace and commit to providing them with the skills and opportunities to address challenges and contribute to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future.

Find out more about UNESCO-UNEVOC's work on Inclusion and Youth.

Building an equitable and inclusive future of work that fosters peace, global citizenship, and sustainable development

WYSD event

15 July 2024, 10:00 - 12:30 Bonn time (CEST)

Key Questions

Skills Development for a Complex World - Which skill development aspects of peace, global citizenship and sustainable development are relevant to the future of work?
Addressing Gender Disparity - How can TVET systems be reformed to promote greater participation of women and girls in the opportunities for future jobs such as green jobs?
Whole-Person Development - How can TVET systems play a more active role in going beyond technical training and fostering well-rounded socially responsible individuals who can contribute to a more inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable future?
Partnership and Collaboration - What are the best strategies for engaging stakeholders, such as youth, policymakers, and the private sector, in discussions about relevant skills development.

Programme Overview

Welcome remarks and introductions

Impulse talks: Addressing youth challenges in skills development and work

Influences and predictions of work: Upskilling and Reskilling for the TVET Workforce
Bridging the Gap: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and global citizenship education in TVET
Empowering girls and women in TVET: pathway to addressing local challenges and contributing to community development

Youth survey report: Youth perspectives on peace, global citizenship, and sustainable development

Youth Panel session: Shaping the future of work with TVET skills

Regional WYSD celebrations

Partnership panel and practical examples: Collaborating for peace and sustainable development

Closing remarks

Take part in the WYSD 2024 Youth Survey
to share your perspectives with regard to skills for peace, global citizenship and sustainable development until 5 July 2024.
Your insights will inform our discussion during the commemoration of World Youth Skills Day on 15 July 2024.

UN Headquarters New York event

To celebrate World Youth Skills Day 2024, the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka to the United Nations, in collaboration with UNESCO, the ILO and the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, will convene a panel discussion with Member States, young experts, social partners, and other stakeholders.
more information will be available soon

TVET Youth Voices

As part of our World Youth Skills Day celebrations, we ask young people to share their perspectives by answering the questions below and feature selected youth voices on our website.

What activities are you involved in that contribute to peace and global citizenship?
(Global citizenship encompasses traits such as multicultural knowledge, societal safety, social sustainability, flexible mindset, empathy, global perspective, intercultural discussion, ethical consumption, and advocacy, enabling individuals to interact responsibly and compassionately with the world and contribute to a more integrated and peaceful global community)
In your field of study, which green skills do you consider important to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable practices?
(e.g., if your field of study is plumbing, which green skills would lead to energy and water efficiency, reduction of waste and reduction of negative environmental impact?)
How has participating in social-emotional learning (SEL) activities helped you build stronger relationships and manage your emotions better?
(Social-Emotional Learning skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making, equip students with the skills necessary for academic success, emotional well-being, and positive social interactions.)

How to record and submit your video?

Make sure to record your video in high-definition (HD) horizontal format, at least 1,280×720 px. Full HD (1,920×1,080 px) is preferable.
Find a good spot with minimal noise and good lighting. Make sure the audio of your video will be clear and audible.
Start the video by telling your name, vocational course/field of study, school/training institution/college and country.
Answer the questions as concise and clear as possible. Remember to look at the camera and don't forget to greet everyone Happy World Youth Skills Day!
Fill up the video consent form.
Send your downloadable video link along with the video consent form using any cloud-based file transfer service (such as WeTransfer, Dropbox, etc) to unevoc.skills(at)unesco.org until 5 July 2024. Make sure that the link will not require app installation for the receiver.

Disclaimer: UNESCO-UNEVOC reserve the right to choose which videos to feature. The ideas, opinions, and viewpoints expressed in the featured videos belong solely to the creators and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNESCO-UNEVOC. UNESCO-UNEVOC shall not be liable for any damages, losses, or harm incurred as a result of using or relying on the information, documents, or materials shown in the featured videos.

Featured resources

UNESCO publication
Empowering youth to build peace
Drawing on existing activities and new proposals, UNESCO launched a broad integrated framework of action that was guided by a common objective: equipping young women and men with knowledge, skills and values that empower them to live peaceful, constructive and productive lives, engaging them as responsible global citizens and making them resilient to any form of abuse or manipulation, including radicalization and violent extremism.

UNESCO publication
Youth empowerment for peace and resilience building and prevention of violent extremism in Sahel and surrounding countries: a guide for teachers
This publication is a guide for teachers and teacher trainers on transformative pedagogy so that they are able to empower youth with peace-building knowledge, skills and competencies necessary to develop into advocates and actors of peace.

UNDP publication
Youth, Peace and Security: Fostering Youth-Inclusive Political Processes
This Guide aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for practitioners and experts devoted to advancing the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, with an emphasis on young people’s participation.

Skills in Action Photo Competition 2024

The Skills in Action Photo Competition 2024 will commence on 15 July during the World Youth Skills Day. More information will be shared soon. Check out our page regularly and do not miss the opportunity to share your talent in photography and win cash prizes.