Society, Values & Ethics

Empowering Youth
A. Description of the issue
Youth is one of the worlds most precious resources. The creation of opportunities for young people in the labour market and investment in their education and health are critical instruments to reduce poverty and ensure sustainable economic growth. Unemployment and underemployment have remained disproportionately high for young people worldwide, even with significant economic growth. According to the ILO, in the next ten years, 1.2 billion young people will enter the global labour market. Efficient policies to effectively tackle structural unemployment among young people by creating opportunities and enhancing their employability are urgently needed. Globalization requires an increasingly skilled and educated workforce. Youth education and the creation of trainee opportunities are among the best ways to facilitate the successful entry into the national and, in particular, the global labour markets. Education also plays an important role in forming the citizens of the future, who are respectful of human rights, cultural differences and who understand the challenges of sustainable development. What are the new educational and training strategies that need to be created by governments and the private sector to prepare the next generations for the challenges of the future?

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B. Dimensions
Education: Education is critical to developing a skilled workforce that meets the needs of increasingly interconnected and tech-savvy economies. Experts are starting to focus on the more intangible skills like leadership, values and an entrepreneurial attitude to develop the labour market. Youth unemployment: Unemployment and underemployment among young people are disproportionately high. What structural factors cause this situation and what are the best strategies to improve it? Gender issues: There are significant differences in education, salaries and job opportunities between women and men nearly everywhere in the world. Too often young women remain an untapped resource in labour markets. However, they could play an important role in improving long-term economic performance. The link between economic growth and the employment of women has been widely documented by experts. Emerging economies: Education is central to sustaining economies that demand more than basic skills. Companies have difficulty developing their operations if they cannot find the right talent. Urban migration: The phenomenon of rural-urban migration, fuelled by stagnating rural economies, affects a great number of young people. The increasing demand for opportunities and livelihoods in cities poses important challenges. International migration: Young people are more likely to decide to move to places where new opportunities can be found. They form the biggest share of legal or illegal migrants who play an important role in the global economy. Youth unemployment and crime: It has been argued that youth unemployment and poverty are factors that can fuel conflict and crime in societies. Retirement age and youth unemployment: Will decisions on the retirement of elderly people affect the opportunities of young people entering the labour market?

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List of Members
Members
*Jos Ignacio Avalos Hernndez, Chief Executive Officer, President and Founder, Gente Nueva, Mexico *Jeroo Billimoria, Executive Director, Aflatoun, Child Social and Financial Education, Netherlands *Martin Burt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fundacin Paraguaya, Paraguay Wataru Iwamoto, Director, Division of Social Sciences, Research and Policy, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Paris *Karim Kawar, President, Kawar Group, Jordan *Rick R. Little, Chairman, Silatech Organizing Team, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Martina Milburn, Chief Executive, The Princes Trust, United Kingdom *Kim Samuel-Johnson, Director, Samuel Group of Companies, Canada Zola Sidney Themba Skweyiya, Minister of Social Development of South Africa Tarik M. Yousef, Dean, Dubai School of Government, United Arab Emirates * Confirmed participation in the Summit on the Global Agenda

Council Manager: Matthias Catn Forum Lead: Martina Gmur

Senior Director: Fiona Paua

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