Boosting Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in the Digital Economy
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) / International Labour Organization (ILO) / United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Session 211
The global economy is undergoing a rapid and radical digital transformation, fundamentally changing the way we live and work. The digital economy and Industry 4.0 represent an important employment and entrepreneurship opportunity for young people: digital technologies and trends like big data, IoT, AI, and cloud computing are driving demand for skilled workers. The need for new services and products also creates opportunities for young entrepreneurs to innovate and launch their own ventures.
Digital skills are an increasingly important pathway to youth employment and entrepreneurship. Investing in digital skills development for young people is therefore a win-win strategy: it makes youth more employable and likely to succeed as digital entrepreneurs, while connecting employers to the talent they need and sparking innovation across sectors. It also empowers young women to overcome gender-specific barriers to enter the labour market in the digital economy.
The Digital Skills for Jobs Campaign, as part of the Global Initiative for Decent Jobs for Youth, and related initiatives demonstrate the success of this strategy. Bringing together young tech leaders and experts on digital skills development, youth employment and entrepreneurship, and women’s economic empowerment, this workshop will highlight best practices, take stock of on-going efforts, and consider ways to amplify successes.
Join our speakers to discuss innovative solutions to boost youth employment and entrepreneurship through digital skills development, and reach the Campaign’s target of equipping 5 million young people with job-ready digital skills by 2030!
Moderator
Ms. Roxana Widmer-Iliescu, Senior Programme Officer, Digital Inclusion Division, BDT/ITU
Speakers/Panellists
- Ms. Naomi MacKenzie, tech entrepreneur and Co-Founder, KITRO
- Ms. Daniela Bas, Director of the Inclusive Social Development Division, UN DESA
- Mr. Daniel Solana, Project Technical Officer, Employment Policy Department, ILO
- Ms. Naomi Falkenburg, Programme Officer, Digital Inclusion Division, ITU
- Mr. Raymond Tavares, Industrial Development Officer, Department of Trade, Innovation and Investment, UNIDO
- Mr. Andrew Rugege, Regional Director for Africa, ITU
- Mr. Anir Chowdhury, Policy Advisor, a2i (Access to Information) Programme, Prime Minister's Office, Government of Bangladesh
Session's link to WSIS Action Lines
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C1. The role of public governance authorities and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
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C4. Capacity building
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C7. ICT Applications: E-business
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C7. ICT Applications: E-employment
WSIS Action Lines C1, C4 and C7.
C1: Digital skills development on a large scale requires the effective participation of government in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, to integrate a digital skills development strategy and curriculum in the national digital strategy and to promote lifelong learning opportunities outside of the formal education system for digital skills acquisition and re-skilling.
C4: Investing in demand-driven digital skills development will increase the effectiveness of education and training provision by making curricula more responsive to the demands of the labour market and skills needs in the digital economy at large. This will ensure more young people acquire (digital) skills that are relevant, transferable, and job-relevant.
C7: The digital transformation and Fourth Industrial Revolution can raise productivity and growth, but also drastically change the employment landscape in an increasingly digital economy. Digital skills development is crucial to ensuring that young people have the skills necessary to thrive in the future world of work, keep pace with the rate of change of evolving technologies, and seize opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Session's link to Sustainable Development Process
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Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
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Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, and 8.
SDG 4: Digital skills (advanced, mid-level, and basic technical skills, as well as entrepreneurship and soft skills) are increasingly needed for nearly all jobs and professional careers. Understanding the skills which are needed in the global economy and 4IR is thus essential to ensure young women and men are equipped with relevant, transferable, job-relevant digital skills. This is in line with SDG 4.3, which calls for equal access for women and men to affordable and relevant education and SDG 4.4, which calls for increasing the number of youth and adults with relevant skills for employment.
SDG 5: Investing in digital skills development for young women can empower them to overcome gender-specific barriers to enter the labour market in the digital economy, giving them access to jobs which are more likely to be stable and well-paid, while also addressing skills shortages and satisfying employer demand for talent.
SDG 8: Considering the growing number and quality of jobs available for people with digital skills, investing in the digital skills development of young people will prepare them for the future of work, connect them with employment opportunities, empower them to succeed as digital entrepreneurs, and address the global youth employment crisis.