World Youth Skills Day [15th July]

World Youth Skills Day is an international observance held annually on 15th July. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed this day in November 2014 to highlight the importance of investing in youth skills development. World Youth Skills Day aims to raise awareness about the need to equip young people with skills for employability, entrepreneurship, and self-employment.

The day seeks to encourage Member States of the UNGA to address challenges and seize opportunities related to youth skills development. Find more information about the history, significance, and theme of this day here.

World Youth Skills Day 2023

Recognizing the need for the world's youth to skill up, the United Nations General Assembly established World Youth Skills Day in 2014. Since then, 15th July has been celebrated as Youth Skill Day each year. This day is the right occasion to start a conversation about creating more opportunities for the youth to skill up.

Every year, many prominent world organizations take part in the celebration of World Youth Skill Development Day. Here is a brief overview of the day:

World Youth Skills Day Theme 2023

The United Nations announces a new theme for every Youth Skills Day. Although the theme for the upcoming occasion has not been shared yet, you can go through some of the previous year's themes here:

• World Youth Skills Day Theme 2022 was "Learning and skills for life, work, and sustainable development."
• World Youth Skills Day 2021 Theme was "Reimagining Youth Skills Post-pandemic."

History of Youth Skills Day

World Youth Skills Day is a United Nations (UN) international day that celebrates the importance of investing in youth skills development. The day intends to "raise awareness on the importance of investing in youth skills development" with that in mind. It aims to encourage governments, employers, industries, training providers, and other stakeholders to address the global challenge of a lack of technical vocational education and training (TVET) for young people.

UNESCO's former Director-General Irina Bokova described it as "a major opportunity to highlight what is at stake: how to provide youth with socio-economic empowerment and a sense of dignity." The first World Youth Skills Day was marked on 15th July 2015.

Significance of World Youth Skills Day

Through greater cooperation among governments, employers, worker's organizations, and relevant stakeholders, employable youth can be helped in skilling up. Youth Skill Day is about spreading the word about the same. Here is why this day is considered significant:

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges the international community to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."
• In a world where technological advances are changing the nature of jobs, skills education and training can help youth find productive employment and decent work, thus contributing to poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. Youth Skill Day is the right occasion to talk about all this.
• Youth skills development is essential to build a strong and productive workforce, which, in turn, is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• While an increasing number of young people are acquiring technical and vocational skills in both formal and informal settings, far too many remain without viable options for decent employment, livelihood, or entrepreneurship opportunities.
• Skills development can help youth realize their full potential and secure a better future for themselves and their communities. Therefore, we need days like World Youth Skill Day to talk about the mentioned issues.

Why Do We Celebrate World Youth Skills Day?

On Youth Skills Day, we recognize that the world's future depends on our ability to give young people the skills they need to transform their lives and communities. Various young people are neither in employment, education, or training. A lack of skills is at the core of this issue. This is why we must work together as governments, businesses, and civil society to equip our young people with the necessary skills for decent jobs, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

We should also recognize that many young entrepreneurs do possess such skills. They deserve support to bring their ideas to life and sustainably improve their livelihoods and those around them. World Youth Skill Day is a reminder that when we invest in youth, we invest in our shared future.

World Youth Skills Day is a celebration of the skills and abilities of young people and their contributions to society. The theme for 2021 was Reimagining Youth Skills Post-pandemic—a chance to celebrate young people and their earnest desire to learn and acquire new skills they have gained throughout their lives.

FAQs on World Youth Skills Day

Q1. When is World Youth Skills Day celebrated?

World Youth Skills Day is celebrated on 15th July every year. This day is aimed to highlight the importance of providing skill development opportunities to the youth to aid them in getting employment or getting self-employed.

Q2. What was the World Youth Skills Day theme for 2021?

World Youth Skills Day 2022 theme was "Learning and skills for life, work, and sustainable development." Each year, the United Nations General Assembly sets a new theme for Youth Skills Day for global celebrations.

Q3. What is the significance of World Youth Skills Day?

On World Youth Skills Day, the fact that youth skills are significant for a country's economic growth and social stability is discussed. Skills also play a role in sustainable development. For example, they can help eliminate poverty, provide better health care, reduce gender inequality, and more.

Q4. What was the theme for World Youth Skills Day 2021?

World Youth Skills Day 2021 theme was "Transforming Youth Skills for the Future." This theme indicates that transforming the youth with more skills will make them ready for the future. Skilling up is important for the youth as it allows them to stride through the professional world more confidently.