Join us in shaping a more equitable future on World Youth Skills Day 2024

WorldSkills and UNESCO-UNEVOC have teamed up to celebrate World Youth Skills Day 2024. As young people tackle evolving global challenges, from violent conflicts to widening economic disparities to polarized online environments, there is growing recognition that our global youth are potential agents of peace and positive change. The two international organizations understand that the key lies in giving young people the right skills to address these challenges head-on so they can contribute to a fair and sustainable future.

The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2024, “Youth Skills for Peace and Development”, will be discussed at a hybrid event on 15 July. Young people from around the world are being invited to share their perspectives in advance through the World Youth Skills Day 2024 Youth Survey. The hope is that this survey will capture ideas on how young people believe skills can be used for peace, global citizenship, and sustainable development. The survey is open until Friday 5 July and all WorldSkills Competitors, Champions and alumni aged 15 to 29 are being encouraged to take part.

UNESCO-UNEVOC and WorldSkills are also calling for young people to record films capturing their perspectives on the theme. They are being asked to respond to questions such as: “What activities are you involved in that contribute to peace and global citizenship?”

Submitted videos will have a chance of featuring on the World Youth Skills Day website, social media, and in a compilation video with young people from around the world. Video submissions are open until Friday 5 July. More details and guidance about submissions is available on the UNESCO website.

The results of the Youth Survey and the videos will be presented during the commemoration of World Youth Skills Day on 15 July between 10:00 to 12:30 CEST. The hybrid event is being held at the UNESCO-UNCVOC headquarters in Bonn and online, and is being organized with the support of WorldSkills Germany. Anyone who wants to take part should register online.

The survey results are expected to set the stage for a dynamic youth panel who will debate how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can shape a fairer, prosperous future for all. The discussion will also feature a series of short talks on how to address youth challenges in skills development and work. These will include deep dives into upskilling and reskilling the TVET workforce, social-emotional learning and global citizenship, and empowering girls and women in TVET.

Since its inception by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, World Youth Skills Day has evolved into a global conversation empowering young people to change the world through skills. Initiatives like World Youth Skills Day are part of a broader effort to amplify young people’s voices and experiences in the skills development landscape.

It closely aligns with WorldSkills ongoing Making Our Mark campaign, which tells the stories of 100 young people who are transforming lives, industries, and communities through skills. People like Shweta Ratanpura, the WorldSkills Champions Trust representative for Asia who is shifting perceptions of TVET careers for young women in India. Her efforts prove how skills can be a powerful tool for social change. Shweta says, “Through my work, I hope that when a young girl chooses to pick an unconventional career path, she gets all the encouragement and support she deserves.”

• Register to join the World Youth Skills Day 2024 hybrid event on 15 July.
• Submit your response to the World Youth Skills Day 2024 Youth Survey before 5 July.
• Learn more about how you can record and submit a video for World Youth Skills Day 2024.