What World (International) Youth Skills Day is All About?

The idea of the World Youth Skills Day or the International Youth Skills Day was coined on December 2014 by the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) of Sri Lanka and they declared the 15th of July as the day for its commemoration. They aimed at accomplishing better opportunities and conditions for the youth of this generation in terms of society, economy, etc. so that they can combat the issues of unemployment, under-employment, poverty, and many more.

The main issue that World Youth Day concerns are the issue of unemployment.  Unemployment is mostly seen among the younger people. Developed cities are majorly affected by the problem of unemployment. Sometimes the majority of the youth is exposed towards the inferior or poor quality of jobs. The World Youth Skills history prioritizes the young people, recognizes this problem of unemployment globally, and implements different activities and programs in order to give a boost to the Youth Skill development to improve the abilities of the youth to make better employment choices.

What are the Issues that the Youth goes Through Today?

Let’s look at some of the issues endured by the youth of today.

1. Deficient Education – Education as we all know is one of the most significant and strong pillars that builds the life of a person. A sufficient educational experience contributes in making a better quality life not only in terms of materialist fulfilments but also in terms of being a better human being. There are a majority of young people who do not get sufficient education. According to a survey, there are around 70 million children across the globe that are unable to get sufficient education and in some cases, no education at all, there can be many factors contributing to which like poverty, the survival of family through the younger members, severe diseases and many more.

2. Materialism – Materialism refers to the exposure and a growing need for materialist objects which oppose and denies the concept of spirituality and intellectuality. It is due to materialism that most of young people prioritize material possessions and do not value other virtues. The effects of materialism have led the youth towards being more money-minded and less thankful and generous. The growing modernity and advancement in terms of technology and especially fashion has contributed in directing the youth towards materialism.

3. Crime – Crime among young people has increased over the years. There can be a lot of factors that can contribute to the chances of younger people indulging in crimes. The factors can be-

1. Lack of Parental Guidance – Parental guidance is one of the much-needed elements in guiding a child through their childhood which contributes not only in putting humane qualities in him but to society as well.
2. Lack of Education – When children are not given proper education, they will not get quality jobs later in the future. They will only be left with jobs which cannot earn them the comforts of life neither fulfill their dreams. As a result of which, they will start looking for activities which will fetch them ample amount of money in no time like robbery, theft, kidnapping, murders, and whatnot. So, education also plays a great role in making or breaking a person’s future.  
3. Conflict Between Parents – When children grow up watching parents fight, for instance, the father beating the mother, abusing and consuming alcohol and nobody raising their voice against it, the child starts to take it as a part of life and repeats the same thing later with his own family as well.
4. Abuse at a Young Age – People having survived abuse since a young age are very much likely to be destructive to society when not given attention to their emotional health. They become isolated and aggressive and lose their emotional transparency.
5. Poverty – In cases of poverty where the men get involved in crimes, women are married off at a younger age denied of education.
6. Mental Illness – Mental illness disables people to function mentally so they are likely to harm people without actually being conscious.
7. Rivalry – Rivalry is the situation where a person is in intense competition with someone or jealous of them. Sometimes this competition and feeling of envy goes way out of hand that people try harming and destroying each other’s lives. Young people are hugely affected by rivalry.

These were very few of the issues that a young person has to endure although not everyone. Some people are fortunate enough to get an education, parental support, and all the other things that are required for the betterment of his life.

These are some of the issues that the Youth Skill Development Programs aim at spreading awareness about. It is believed that young people are almost three times more likely to suffer from unemployment than elder people. And they are the ones most exploited in workplaces. Young women on the other hand, as compared to young men, are more likely to be unemployed, underpaid, and even exploited, be it the women working in offices, farms, or construction sites.