Investing in Youth Skills: Pathway to a Thriving Workforce Future

Invest in Stronger Youth Skills for Thriving Workforces

On July 15th, the global spotlight shines on Youth Skills Day to underline the pivotal role of equipping young people with skills that enable them to excel in their careers. As countries such as India and Brazil have already seen peaks in youth populations ages 15-24, this highlights the urgency for concrete policy interventions.

Indeed, nations like these are not unique cases; Sub-Saharan Africa is witnessing rapid youth population growth. By 2030, an astounding 42 of global youths will come from the region alone, and its working-age population is poised to surpass that of both India and China soon.

With this demographic shift, young individuals are increasingly central in unlocking their countries' productivity and economic growth potential. Yet, concerns over disengaged youth populations persist; statistics show that more than 20 were neither educated, employed nor undergoing trning as recently as 2023. For women specifically, the figure soars to over 25.

Underestimated Gaps in Foundational Learning

Despite their economic significance, many young people lack foundational skills such as basic literacy and numeracythe building blocks for further capital development and productive employment. In most middle-income countries that participated in the Program for International Student Assessment PISA, more than half of 15-year-old students fell below minimum proficiency levels in mathematics and reading skills since 2018.

Technical and vocational education and trning TVET have unique potential to enhance employability through workforce skill development. It can effectively impart skills across various occupational sectors, professions, or livelihoods at secondary, post-secondary, or tertiary levels and includes work-based learning experiences.

Weakened Foundational Skills in TVET

Source: Building Better Formal TVET Systems report based on PISA 2003-2018 data

Foundational skills among vocational students lag significantly compared to peers from general education. In Azerbjan, Georgia, Mauritius, and Senegal, less than 10 of secondary vocational or prevocational program students met minimum reading proficiency levels according to PISA assessments. Secondary TVET graduates in Ghana scored notably lower literacy scores than their counterparts from general education.

Despite the foundational learning gap, policymakers often prioritize investment in TVET over projects med at enhancing basic literacy skills. In a survey involving over 900 policymakers from 35 low- and middle-income countries, TVET ranked highest for receiving additional project finance assuming hypothetical funding scenarios. This preference might stem from policymakers' assumption that TVET provides an immediate solution to youth unemployment without fully recognizing the pivotal role of foundational learning.

Enhancing Foundational Skills in TVET

Brazil, Colombia, Estonia, and Latvia offer programs designed to develop foundational skills while enabling graduates access to other educational tracks. Bangladesh's Education Sector Plan shifts objectives and content in primary education toward enhancing students' foundational learning capabilities. It also improve the number of qualified TVET teachers through reforms.

India’s National Education Policy emphasizes ensuring foundational learning for all children by Grade 3, integrating vocational education into secondary schools. It calls for continuous assessment systems that track student progress while offering personalized support. Chinese TVET providers integrate both foundational skills and technical-vocational education at the secondary and tertiary levels.

While acknowledging the importance of bolstering foundational learning among TVET students, current TVET systems face numerous challenges due to issues like rigid curricula, inadequate teaching methods, poor institutional management, and a lack of incentives for fir invest in these areas. These challenges underscore the need for comprehensive reforms med at overhauling existing systems as argued last year.

To summarize, investing in stronger youth skills through foundational learning is crucial for building thriving workforces capable of driving economic progress. By addressing the gaps highlighted today, policymakers can ensure that our youngest populations are equipped with the essential tools necessary to succeed in an increasingly competitive global job market.

Let us embrace this day as a catalyst for changeproviding our youths with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful citizens, leaders, and contributors to society. Together, we can create futures filled with opportunities and possibilities for generations yet to come.
This article is reproduced from: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/investinpeople/invest-in-foundational-learning-for-youth-skills-development

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