Youth Learn Skills to Thrive in Today’s World With UNICEF's Help

UNICEF programs in South Asia are helping adolescents gain the skills they need to succeed in school, work and life

Enthusiasm for learning — that's what captivated me when I visited an Adolescent Center in the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

It’s here where adolescents learn practical and vocational skills, including tailoring and solar engineering — skills that help prepare them for life and work.  

Despite having gone through so much, the young refugees I met were inspiring and full of energy. They were eager to learn because they knew these new skills and knowledge would help them navigate challenges. 

Young people are hungry to learn — yet face multiple challenges when trying to gain skills 

South Asia is home to the largest youth population in the world. They have tremendous potential to boost their country’s economy and drive social development — that is, if sustainable and tailored investments in youth skills development are made by all.  

I’ve met young people across the region who have told me they are hungry to learn, but face a multitude of challenges when trying to gain the skills needed to secure a meaningful job and support their families.  

In South Asia, more than 80 million adolescents of secondary education age are out of school. According to UNICEF's Recovering Learning Report, 79 percent of youth aged 15-24 years are not on track to acquiring the skills they are expected to at the secondary school level.  

With limited vocational training opportunities, the majority of youth are not gaining the job-specific skills they need to join the world of work – a world which is rapidly changing.   

New technologies, climate change are transforming the job market

New technologies including the recent progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are transforming the nature of work and jobs across the world.  

Climate change is also having an impact on the job market. For example, in the agricultural sector many farmers have migrated to cities because their harvests are not earning them enough money due to the changing climate.

At the same time, the evolving situation is propelling many industries to adapt to more environment-friendly and climate-resilient approaches that require a deep understanding and application of green skills.  

To thrive in today’s world, young people need a full range of skills and knowledge needed to work, be an active citizen and live life in the 21st century.  

UNICEF-supported programs cover a wide range of interrelated skills 

In South Asia, UNICEF supports young people to develop a wide range of skills, both while they’re in and out of school. These skills, all closely interrelated, include:

1. Foundational skills — reading, writing, math
2. Transferable skills — sometimes called life skills or socio-emotional skills, these include problem solving, negotiation, empathy and communication; all work as the central glue that connects all other skills and helps young people navigate challenges
3. Digital skills — the ability to use and understand technology, now essential for 21st-century jobs 
4. Job-specific skills — also known as technical and vocational skills, these support young people’s transition into the workforce
5. Entrepreneurial skills — skills that support business development and social entrepreneurship, such as time management, goal setting, innovative thinking, and financial literacy

In Nepal, the Rupantaran program is helping girls like 16-year-old Sahira unleash their potential. This program includes social and financial skills training for adolescents.

Sahira, who comes from a marginalized Muslim community, never got to attend school, as is the case for many girls in the area. After joining the Rupantaran program, she learned about entrepreneurship and opened her own tailoring business. She now earns a decent amount of money to support her family. 

"I was learning about many different things, things I had no idea about before," Sahira says. "It’s very fulfilling to know that I am using my skills to help boost my family’s finances." 

Similarly, through UPSHIFT – UNICEF's global innovation program — adolescents and young people in Bhutan, India and Maldives are learning 21st-century skills and developing their entrepreneurial mindset to build innovative solutions for the challenges in their local communities.  

Tenzin, a student in Bhutan, passionately shares his skills building experience through the UPSHIFT program using sign language. "Now for the first time, a program like UPSHIFT was introduced where we learn different skills — skills like problem solving and critical thinking, and we learn to work with different people," he says.

Every young person deserves to learn throughout their lifetime. It’s our collective responsibility to make sure they can do just that. 

UNICEF ​​is committed to accelerating the holistic skills development of youth, and building a brighter world together with our partners, teachers, public and private stakeholders, and most importantly with young people. Learn more about UNICEF’s work in skills development.

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to create a more equitable world where every child is healthy, educated, protected and respected. Learn more about what UNICEF does and how to help.

This article by Chizuru Iwata, Education Specialist, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, originally appeared on unicef.org.

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