Celebrating ten years of World Youth Skills Day

This week saw a major milestone for the global skills movement, with 15 July 2025 being the tenth anniversary of World Youth Skills Day, an international day recognized by the United Nations highlighting the importance of equipping young people with the vocational and technical education to transform the world.

As WorldSkills prepares for the next Competition in Shanghai, World Youth Skills Day marked the announcement of megastar actor and singer Xiao Zhan as a WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Ambassador; a moment that was met with excitement by young people around the world with hundreds of millions of social media views and online engagement.

This announcement marked the official launch of a new wave of promotional campaigns under the theme “Youth Powering WorldSkills.” As the countdown to the 48th WorldSkills Competition continues, the Organizing Committee will invite more influential public figures to join in raising awareness, inspiring young people to embrace skills, and encouraging them to pursue excellence in vocational careers.

Simultaneously two events took place in Paris and New York, gathering influential leaders and advocates in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) educators, under the theme “Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills.”

The decision to mark the tenth anniversary of World Youth Skills Day with a focus on AI reflected the rapid digitization taking place in global industries and the urgent need for AI to be effectively integrated into TVET curricula. This digital divide was shown in data compiled by UNESCO, which revealed that currently less than 10% of schools and universities provide formal guidance on AI.

In Paris, UNESCO-UNEVOC hosted a high level panel discussion at the Learning Planning Institute. The hybrid event opened with a keynote speech by H. E. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, who stressed the importance of empowering a new generation with digital skills.

He said, “Digital education must be human-centred, nurturing not only technical ability, but also creativity, critical thinking, and compassion. As AI reshapes our world, young people must be seen not just as learners – but as co-creators of a fairer digital future.”

In preparation for the event, two members of WorldSkills Champions Trust were asked to take part in a Youth Skills Bootcamp. Shweta Ratanpura, WorldSkills Champions Trust representative for Asia, and Nurit Davidowicz, WorldSkills Champions Trust representative for Europe, joined a select group of young people from around the world to build hands-on digital skills, engage in peer-led sessions, and learn more about the emerging role of AI in TVET.

The bootcamp culminated in a youth panel discussion during the Paris event asking: “Is AI a tool for empowerment or a threat to human potential?” The panellists reframed AI as an enabler, sharing examples of how digital tools can open doors to new learning, greater accessibility, and more equitable futures.

During the discussion, Shweta reflected, “Now more than ever, we need educators who are not just teachers, but practitioners—well-versed in the latest tools, platforms, and skillsets. As AI reshapes job roles, the value of strong foundational and interpersonal skills also rises. It’s our teachers who will play a crucial role in preparing us not just for work, but for adaptability, empathy, and lifelong learning.”

Nurit added, “Building digital competence for students and teachers is important to pick up everybody and not leave anybody behind, to not take away job opportunities.”

The event in Paris also marked the fifth anniversary of the Global Skills Academy and used the milestone to launch a new Skills for the Future Platform which allows private sector partners and civil society organizations to share ideas that improve employability. Borhene Chakroun, Director for Policies and Lifelong Learning at UNESCO, described it as “a unique platform to advance inclusive partnerships and unlock the full potential of skills for the future.”

WorldSkills Board member for Strategic Development, Ray English, took part in celebration as well, joining a policy and practise debate titled Skills Demand, Trends, and Institutional Readiness. While highlighting that WorldSkills is helping its Members modernize their TVET systems by shaping high-quality AI-ready learning models that align with the future of work, he stressed the need for building a global guidance strategy for both educators and students to ensure equity of opportunity.

At the same time, across the Atlantic, Audrey Norris, Champion from SkillsUSA represented WorldSkills at the World Youth Skills Day celebrations in New York. Hosted by UNESCO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) and held at the ILO Office for the United Nations, this event brought together global policymakers and youth advocates to explore the critical role of digital and AI skills in shaping inclusive, future-ready learning systems.

Audrey, who won a gold medal at the SkillsUSA Nationals 2022 in Interactive Application and Game Development, was part of an interactive panel discussion about the importance of digital literacy, from building foundational skills to employing more critical and ethical thinking in the way AI systems are developed.

At the event, Audrey told the panellists that many people of her generation are thinking about how AI will fit into their future. She shared her concerns, saying, “I believe if we turn to AI as our default for every problem and challenge then we stop learning. That has a cost. We risk sacrificing foundational skills for convenience.”

And she concluded, “As long as we understand that AI is not a substitute but a supplement to our learning and our continued growth, and as long as educational institutions provide the platform for critical thinking and ethical awareness, then my generation will be ready for anything.”

Declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, World Youth Skills Day is the result of advocacy by WorldSkills International, and the Permanent Missions of Sri Lanka and Portugal. In the decade since it was launched, it has become a global platform to recognize and invest in the power of skills for youth development and peace.

WorldSkills has been building up to this important celebration over the last month, using social content to amplify the voice of skilled youth. This included a countdown campaign by the WorldSkills Champions Trust representatives inviting young people around the world to “pass the mic” and combine their voices on the global stage for skills.

David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, recognized the importance of using World Youth Skills Day 2025 to tackle issues like AI. He says, “The events on Tuesday showed us the importance of bringing young people into conversations around the benefits and challenges of emerging technology in skills development. If we truly value our young workforce then we need to ensure that their opinions and their needs underpin our national and international TVET strategies.”

Learn more about World Youth Skills Day, or visit WorldSkills social platforms to see the highlights from both events.