Global Youth unemployment
Communities are the building blocks of society and yet recent studies have shown that global youth unemployment is at an all-time high and threatens to destroy whole communities. According to the 2015 International Labor Organization (ILO),
the youth unemployment rate is at approximately 12.7% (well above the pre-crisis level of 11.7% in 2009). For millions of
young people (15 to 24 years of age), finding work that makes use of their unique passions, creativity, skills and capabilities
is a drawn-out uphill struggle. Furthermore, skills mismatch has become more prominent around the globe and costly for
employers, workers and society at large. When young people make a healthy transition from adolescence into adulthood, options expand fur the future. It’s time to scale up community awareness and action on this issue.
Key Reflections:
• What are the systemic barriers to youth employment?
• Are current education approaches and career management practices failing us?
• What is the role of community, government, corporations, NGO’s, parents and educators in designing and deploy
ing sustainable youth employment solutions?
• How can we create breakthroughs for youth in the 21st Century?
• How can we encourage youth to become innovators, thinkers and problem solvers?
