News & Insights 15 July 2022

Celebrating World Youth Skills Day – why is it important?

World Youth Skills Day is a global awareness day that is celebrated every year on 15th July as a way to raise awareness of youth unemployment and promote the importance of providing young people with the right skills, tools and resources so that they can transform their future. 

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It was celebrated for the first time in 2014 and since then, World Youth Skills Day has created an amazing opportunity for dialogue between young people and education and training institutions, organisations, firms and employers.

Why do we celebrate it?

World Youth Skills Day is a chance to shine light on the high levels of youth employment around the world and the significance of giving young people the chance they deserve to succeed in life. 

By addressing the challenges of unemployment, the goal today is to spark discussion about how to provide further opportunities to young people coming from different backgrounds so that they can feel empowered and supported. 

How exactly did it start?

It started in 2014 as a way to reduce unemployment and promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training for youth, also called TVET. 

TVET, as part of lifelong learning that can take place at secondary, post-secondary and tertiary levels and includes work-based learning and continuing training and professional development which may lead to qualifications. 

TVET also includes a wide range of skills development opportunities attuned to national and local contexts. Learning to learn, the development of literacy and numeracy skills, transversal skills and citizenship skills are integral components of TVET. This presents a lot of benefits over traditional training methods and it creates better employment opportunities, higher income levels while also increasing job satisfaction.

As a result, this brings together policymakers, training institutions, and development partners to ensure that young people -especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – are best supported.

Youth unemployment in the UK

Young people have been hit first and hardest in the labour market by COVID-19.  455,000 young people (10.8%) aged 16-24 were unemployed in February-April 2022. 

Read more: What does the EPI report show about the impact of the pandemic on disadvantaged young people?

Looking beyond COVID-19, the recovery of youth employment is more essential than ever. The government has responded to the unemployment crisis among young people by implementing different initiatives that encourage and promote employment prospects, such as the Kickstart Scheme, traineeships and employer apprenticeship incentives.

Do you want to get involved?

At Action Tutoring we have created a safe and inclusive place where our team members, tutors, pupils and teachers can feel supported, heard and empowered. 

If you could spare an hour each week to help disadvantaged young people receive the academic support they need in English and maths, apply today to join our cause.

We’d love to hear from you!