World Youth Skills Day is a United Nations day that promotes, celebrates and expands skills-based education and training for young people. Celebrated every year on July 15th, the day aims to expand awareness and appreciation for skills development for young people.
The day is a chance for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), institutions and organisations to come together and share what they do. The United Nations believe that one way to solve the rising youth unemployment figures is through skills-based training. They believe that young people need to learn practical skills for meaningful work and employment. Furthermore, they believe that technical and vocational education and training can help young people respond to the ever-changing skill demands across the world.
World Youth Skills day gives young people and educational institutions the chance to share the value of skills-based learning and knowledge-based learning.
Why is World Youth Skills Day so Important?
2020/2021 has been an incredibly challenging year for the technical and vocational education and training industry. Most young people moved to online learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all parts of education. However, technical and vocation learning by their very nature have been hit the hardest. Due to their practical nature, it has been challenging for some students to continue developing the skills in a virtual environment. Many hands-on projects have had to pause to protect the safety of others. Moreover, schools and colleges across the country have faced long periods of closure.
On top of the particular challenges faced by technical and vocational education and training, 16-25 year old’s have felt some of the most significant impacts of the pandemic in general. They are more likely to have lost their jobs, felt more significant restrictions on their freedom, and have faced interruptions to major life transitions such as graduation. That is why this year celebrating World Youth Skills Day feels more important than ever. Young people deserve a day to celebrate their achievements in technical and vocational learning.
Celebrations this year are being conducted online. You can find out more information on the United Nations website.
How Does Employing an Apprentice Support Skills Education?
Our mission at Employing an Apprentice is for more people to engage with technical education to rebuild the economy and find meaningful employment. At the very heart of that is our dedication to apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are a work-based training programme that combines practical experience with off-the-job training.
If you are inspired to get involved in skills-based learning this World Youth Skills Day, head over to our apprenticeships board. Here you will find a myriad of live apprenticeships with various employers and training providers from across the UK. If you feel you need to learn more about apprenticeships and where they can take you, head over to our resource hub to get learning.
Finally, if you are an employer looking to get involved in technical and vocational education and training, then look at our employer guides. These are packed full of information about where to begin and how we can help you get there.
