Skills for Sustainable Growth Through Networking

Hosted by UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training

The 2012 UNESCO Global Monitoring Report on "Youth and Skills" estimates that every dollar spent on educating a young person will bring back between 10 and 15 dollars in economic growth during that person's working life as an adult. Investments in education are thus investments in progress and sustainable future growth. Conversely, low-quality education and training come with a high cost: Mismatches between young graduates' skills and labor-market demands translate into high youth unemployment. This can lead to social unrest, as uprisings in the Arab States have shown.

In times of economic crisis, countries are now required to turn to quality education that encompasses notions of sustainability instead of banking solely on quantity. Quality technical and vocational education and training (TVET) can be an effective tool to tackle global unemployment, especially for youth, and can ensure sustainable growth.

As UNESCO’s specialized agency for technical and vocational education and training, UNESCO-UNEVOC serves as the hub of a network of institutions working closely together on developing and improving the skills people need to address economic challenges of the future. Along with some of its network members and partners, UNESCO-UNEVOC will discuss the issue of youth skills for sustainable growth from different perspectives and present some of the projects that have been initiated among the members of its network. The workshop will give examples of successful cooperation that has taken place across the globe to improve the possibilities for young people to successfully transition from education to employment.

The following questions will guide the discussion:
- What skills do young people need to thrive in the workplace?
- How can young workers be sensitized to issues of sustainability at the workplace?
- What are the right skills needed to sustain growth?
- What are examples of successful South-South cooperation within the UNEVOC network?

Moderation:

Lilienthal, Eckart
Desk Officer, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Bonn, Germany

Panelists:

Chung, Jisun
Senior research fellow and director of the Center for Global Cooperation, Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Korea

Habib, Dr. Kato
Professor, Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda

Majumdar, Shyamal
Head, UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Bonn, Germany

Sannerud, Prof. Ronny
Professor, Centre for Research on Education and Work Oslo, and Akershus University College, Kjeller, Norway, and Visiting Professor, Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda

Complete session on soundcloud:
WS05 - Skills for Sustainable Growth Through Networking