The World Youth Skills Day is observed on July 15 every year since 2014. According to the United Nations, this day celebrates the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

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Events on this day provide a unique opportunity for dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, firms, employers’ and workers’ organizations, policy makers and development partners, UN adds.

History:

It was during the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2014, that July 15 was declared as World Youth Skills Day. The first World Youth Skills Day was celebrated on July 15, 2015.

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Significance:

World Youth Skills Day stresses the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. The occasion provides an opportunity to bring skilled young individuals along with employers, development partners and policy makers on the same platform.

World Youth Skills Day 2021 theme:

The theme for World Youth Skills Day this year is ‘Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic’. According to UNESCO estimates, schools were either fully or partially closed for more than 30 weeks between March 2020 and May 2021 in half the countries of the world. Nineteen countries had full school closures by late June. This affected nearly 157 million learners. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that youth employment fell 8.7% in 2020 and the consequences could last for years. The theme this year revolves around recovery from this damage. The UN said that people need to imagine priorities they should adopt for the post-COVID-19-world.

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Event:

The Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, UNESCO, ILO and the Permanent Missions of Sri Lanka and Portugal to the UN have organised a virtual event to discuss the skills that the youth need to acquire currently and in the future. The event was conducted between 8:30 PM and 10 PM IST.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation’s youths on World Youth Skills Day saying that there is a need to learn and upgrade our skills during the times of coronavirus and adapt to the new needs. The day also marks as the fifth anniversary of the Skill India Mission.