UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for working together to build a more just and thriving workforce, rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind. The UN chief convened a Transforming Education Summit in September that will bring together world leaders, youth and other education actors. "Guided by the United Nations Youth 2030 strategy, I urge everyone to act for youth skills development as a priority, at the Summit and beyond," he said wishing all a happy World Youth Skills Day. Guterres said young people are drivers of change and must be fully engaged in decisions affecting their future. Also read: Around 3 in 4 youth lack skills needed for employment, new report says He highlighted the importance of transforming youth skills for the future of work. "Young people are disproportionately impacted by interlinked global crises, from climate change to conflicts to persistent poverty," said the UN chief. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these fragilities. In 2020 alone, youth employment fell by 39 million, he said. Today, 24 million young people remain at risk of not returning to school. The pandemic also accelerated the transformation of the labour market, adding uncertainty and widening the digital divide. Also read: There're no real democratic societies without press freedom: Guterres "We must ensure the right of young people to effective and inclusive education, training, and lifelong learning. That requires ramping up youth skills development, while investing in Technical Vocational Education and Training, broadband connectivity, and digital skills," he said.

Nearly three quarters of young people aged 15 to 24 in 92 countries with available data are off-track to acquire the skills needed for employment, according to a new report published by the Education Commission and UNICEF on Thursday ahead of World Youth Skills Day. Recovering learning: Are children and youth on track in skills development? features analyses on skills development in early childhood, and among children of primary school age and youth. The data highlight low levels of skills among children and young people across all age groups, with young people in low-income countries the least likely to have the skills required to thrive, particularly in future employment opportunities, decent work, and entrepreneurship. Also read: Basic Software Skills for Freshers to Get Hired Easily “An inspired, skilled generation of children and young people is critical for prosperity, progression, and the success of societies and economies. Yet, the majority of children and young people across the world have been failed by their education systems, leaving them uneducated, uninspired, and unskilled – the perfect storm for unproductivity,” said UNICEF Director of Education Robert Jenkins. “Investment in cost-effective, proven solutions to fast-track learning and skills development for today’s generation and future generations is urgently needed to address this crisis.” With high rates of out-of-school young people and low attainment of secondary-level skills, countries worldwide are facing a skills crisis, with the majority of youth unprepared to take part in today’s workforce, the report notes. Read Best Free Websites to Improve English Writing Skill Deep disparities across countries and among those from the poorest communities are increasing inequalities. In at least 1 in 3 low-income countries with available data, more than 85 percent of young people are off-track in the secondary-level, digital, and job-specific skills attainment, the report notes. "To give young people the best chance to succeed and recover learning losses due to the pandemic, we need to support them holistically. But we can't recover what we don't measure. We need to know where children and youth are in building the range of skills they need and monitor their progress," said Education Commission Executive Director Liesbet Steer. Read Bangladesh urges Japan to recruit skilled IT professionals "That's why the Education Commission, UNICEF, and partners have been working to address critical data gaps, including the launch of the World Skills Clock to help track progress on and raise awareness around youth skills attainment around the world so we can target urgent action to prepare this generation to thrive in the future." Data from 77 countries show that less than three-quarters of children aged between 3 and 5 years old are developmentally on track in at least three out of the four domains of literacy-numeracy, physical, social-emotional, and learning. At approximately 10 years old, the majority of children in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a simple text. Read HSBC, IBA award young talents of Bangladesh with future skills These foundational skills are the building blocks for further learning and skills development, the report notes. Basic literacy and numeracy; transferable skills including life skills and socioemotional skills; digital skills, which allow individuals to use and understand technology; job-specific skills, which support the transition into the workforce; and entrepreneurial skills are essential for children to thrive. These skills are also critical for the development of societies and economies. UNICEF and the Education Commission are urging governments to reach every child with quality education and break down the barriers that put them at risk of dropping out; assess children’s learning levels and provide tailored catch-up classes to bring them up to speed; prioritize foundational skills to build a strong base for lifelong learning; and support psychosocial health and well-being by providing holistic support. Also read: HSBC, IBA award young talents of Bangladesh with future skills The report outlines the need for more extensive data on the skills gap among children and young people across all age groups.

To equip the country's youth with skills for the jobs of the future, Grameenphone and UNDP are all set to launch a unique virtual learning series. Titled 'Get Future Ready: Need for Skills', the virtual learning MasterClass series is part of their commitment made on World Youth Skills Day. The sessions will be held from August 28 to September 25. Read: Grameenphone, Brac team up to support Covid-hit families A pool of prominent industry leaders and experts will guide the participants with the aim to enable economic opportunities for all, especially in the post-pandemic era. Sudipto Mukerjee (Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh), Rubana Huq (Past President, BGMEA), Ridwan Kabir (Vice President, AT&T), Zaved Akhtar (CEO, Unilever), and Yasir Azman (CEO, Grameenphone) will interact with participants on Zoom. The speakers will discuss various aspects of inclusion, entrepreneurship, global professional scenario, innovation, leadership, and other business and career highlights. Selective university students currently doing the Communication Skills, Digital Marketing & Entrepreneurship course under GP Explorers – a skills-led digital academy by Grameenphone – will join the sessions. Read: Grameenphone receives Asian Leadership Awards 2021 “We have the crucial advantage of a demographic dividend, which we need to utilise to the fullest,” said a Grameenphone representative.  "Through sessions like masterclass, our youth will get the opportunity to connect and learn directly from a handful of distinguished professionals. They can ask questions to satiate all their queries, from which other young audiences watching the live sessions can also benefit. Hopefully, this is going to be an immensely fruitful initiative for all of us,” he said. UNDP’s Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee said, “This series of MasterClass, will orient young people to the kinds of soft skills and values which are increasingly considered essential in any workplace and in turn equipping them to become good professionals.  "UNDP is working with all development actors including the private sector to co-create platforms to help youth to not only access more dignified economic opportunities but through that becoming better able to contribute a modern and prosperous Bangladesh for all”. Read: UNDP launches 'MyResponse' campaign against cyberbullying The first session of the series shall be conducted by Mukerjee on August 28 from 7.30pm. All sessions of the MasterClass series will be broadcast live on Grameenphone, UNDP, and Prothom Alo’s Facebook platforms.