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Youth, those who are from 15 to 24 years of age, constitute over a billion (or close to a fifth of the world’s population) people on this planet. A big majority - 85 percent - reside in developing countries. Confronted with numerous challenges and concerns, the youth, especially in the developing world, need to be assisted to realize their full potentials and contribute to a better future.
One growing concern today is that of employment. Of the 160 million who are unemployed in the world at present, more than 40 percent are young. Under-employment is equally a growing concern. The majority of new jobs are low-wages and insecure. Increasingly, young people are turning to the informal sector for their livelihood, with little or no job protection, benefits, or prospects for the future. With 500 million young women and men entering the workforce within the next decade, and as rapid globalization and technological change offer new threats along with opportunities, the young are especially vulnerable during the period when they transit from childhood to adulthood, from dependence to self-reliance.
The United Nations has placed emphasis on meeting the youth employment challenge through the creation of a Youth Employment Network and putting such concern as the central issue in the observance of International Youth Day today. The promotion of youth employment is governed by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly of December 18, 2002 that called on all nations to come up with national action plans focusing on four elements, namely, employability, equal opportunities, entrepreneurship, and employment creation.
Governments have been called upon to ensure that the young get educated since their education determines access to and the quality of employment. All countries have been called upon to review, rethink and re-orient their education, vocational training, and labor market policies to facilitate the schooltowork transition and to give young men and women – particularly those who are disadvantaged because of disabilities or who face discrimination because of race, religion or ethnicity – a headstart in working life. Young men and women also need a set of “core work skills’’ such as communication, problem solving and teamwork skills to develop their employability and prepare them for work in the knowledge and skills based society.
As we commemorate International Youth Day, we join the youth in calling on all sectors to provide the required support to facilitate the transition from school to work so that they can more effectively contribute to the pursuit of sustainable development and global peace.
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VOICEMASTER
Visit my site www.voty.org and www.lktkr.8m.com
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to be an affliate Grace Centre International HiVAIDS Youth Commission | Sep 2nd, 2003
am enock ondara with an org.home relief and care services in nairobi,kenya.i need to be an affliate of your org an will love to attend the upcomin youth day event.
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