Young people tackle global challenges on World Youth Skills Day 2024

WorldSkills and UNESCO-UNEVOC are hosting a collaborative hybrid event today from 10:00 to 12:30 CEST to celebrate World Youth Skills Day 2024. Taking place at UNESCO-UNEVOC headquarters in Bonn and online, the event focuses on "Youth Skills for Peace and Development," exploring how young people worldwide are addressing evolving global challenges.

David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, Friedrich Huebler, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC, and Niels Knudsen, Chief of External Relations and Communications at UNV, will open the event. Throughout the day, speakers will include LinkedIn's Efrem Bycer discussing green skills and Yoko Mochizuki from UNESCO's Mahatma Gandhi Institute, sharing insights on whole-person development. Young Champions Florian Zimmer, a Euroskills medallist, and Sophie Charlotte Keunecke, a WorldSkills medallist, will share their experiences. Heike Kuhn from Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development will contribute policy perspectives to create a well-rounded discussion.

The event will also unveil results from the World Youth Skills Day 2024 Youth Survey, offering insights into young people's views on skills and global challenges. A key focus will be the role of digital skills in promoting global citizenship, with discussions on innovative approaches to integrating these skills into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curricula.

Today's conversations are expected to shape future skills development initiatives worldwide. The outcomes will inform policy recommendations for integrating peace-building and global citizenship into TVET programs, potentially influencing educational frameworks across continents.

To commemorate this significant day, members of the WorldSkills Champions Trust have shared their insights and reflections, illustrating how their skills serve as essential pillars for development and as foundational building blocks for more peaceful communities.