Skills for a Resilient Youth in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond
World Youth Skills Day 2020 will take place in a challenging context. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have led to the worldwide closure of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, threatening the continuity of skills development.
It is estimated that nearly 70% of the world’s learners are affected by school closures across education levels currently. Respondents to a survey of TVET institutions, jointly collected by UNESCO, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank, reported that distance training has become the most common way of imparting skills, with considerable difficulties regarding, among others, curricula adaptation, trainee and trainer preparedness, connectivity, or assessment and certification processes.
Prior to the current crisis, young people aged 15-24 were three times more likely than adults to be unemployed and often faced a prolonged school-to-work transition period. In post-COVID-19 societies, as young people are called upon to contribute to the recovery effort, they will need to be equipped with the skills to successfully manage evolving challenges and the resilience to adapt to future disruptions.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-youth-skills-day
Glen Hampson, Business Development Manager, Construction, Kubota UK
This World Youth Skills Day (15th July) gives each of us an opportunity to reflect upon the future of construction and the importance of attracting skilled individuals into the industry.
With the construction sector hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis in recent months, it’s more important than ever that we continue to invest in it moving forward. In his Summer Statement, Chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak noted that the industry is set to play a key role in restarting the economy and helping the nation recover from the impact of the crisis.
In order to fulfil this promise, construction companies and the government need to continue to work together to boost recruitment and training in the UK. If companies working across the sector are able to provide the younger generation with the schemes and the experience needed to excel in a career in construction, the skills shortage will no doubt, reduce.
With such a focus on the skills of the future, such as the use of AI, virtual reality or even 3D printing, it is essential that apprenticeship schemes offer new recruits training in the latest technological advancements. While the use of these technologies may not be commonplace yet, knowing and experimenting with how they can be used and improve common processes will be essential for everyone working in the construction industry. It is also important that those that enter the sector via apprenticeship schemes are able to follow their interests and are given full exposure to what their career will entail.
We’re currently experiencing turbulent times, but with a combined focus from the government and businesses in the sector on closing the skills gap, we will all be able to look toward a brighter future. If more schemes are put in place to nurture, upskill and entice new recruits into the industry, the sector will be able to weather the current storm and thrive both now and for decades to come.
