Created in 2014 by the United Nations General Assembly, July 15 marks World Youth Skills Day, a day to highlight the value and importance of enabling young people to thrive in developing their skills for employment, work and entrepreneurship.

Since then, World Youth Skills day events have looked to offer an opportunity for various entities, including employers, labour organizations, policy makers, training and young people themselves, to collaborate, coordinate, and develop the skills necessary for employment success.

Around the world, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has proven an essential indicator for global equality, particularly within the realm of gender disparity in employment. As labour and technology become increasingly complicated and interconnected, it remains as important as ever to ensure the prioritization of skilled youth.

That conversation holds true for Canada as well. Much like other countries, it will remain important for young people to develop their ability to contribute at a high level. But in Canada’s specific case, the discussion of the importance of skills extends to the ability to use the skills that many Canadians already have.

As popular discussions in Canada have noted, Canada faces a problem of productivity. As such, ensuring younger Canadian immigrants to make use of the professional skills they may have already attained from their country of origin could be an important consideration for the Canadian labour context.

Beyond the question of skills retraining among both younger and older adults, however, the Canadian government has looked to highlight the value and importance of Skills Canada in training young people in order to enter the workforce.

Last year, the government announced $27 million in funding over 5 years for Skills Canada under the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy, while looking to support, in part, the engagement of youth in skilled trades and technology through competitions and career exploration.

As for 2024, the theme for World Youth Skills day is Youth Skills for Peace and Development, with the goal of highlighting and promoting the important role that young people play in conflict resolution.

Canada itself has historically played a role as a peacemaking country, but many of its most popular historical peacemaking efforts have been led by senior government officials and diplomats. However, the upcoming date provides Canada with a chance to reflect on that role, and the part that young people might play in it, particularly in a world that continues to face violence, war, genocide and civil strife.

In these areas and others, Canada and the rest of the world have the opportunity to prioritize youth skills as that group enters both the workforce, and the world more broadly.

Source: United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Government of Canada