World Youth Skills Day: Youth Skills for Peace and Development

World Youth Skills Day advocates for strategically equipping the youth with the tools and skills needed to thrive in employment, decent work and entrepreneurship for a more peaceful and sustainable future.

The 2024 theme “Youth Skills for Peace and Development” emphasizes the crucial role that young people play in promoting peace and driving sustainable development. The youth make up the world’s largest population, and quality skilled education for the youth should be emphasized for peace and development.

According to an African Union report (2023), Africa’s youth population is estimated at 400 million and is expected to double by 2050. Having a better-educated and growing population will automatically improve skills and employment which will improve the socio-economic returns leading to a changing global workforce, and a favourable and habitable world.  Therefore, Africa’s labour markets are adapting to new trends which are redefining skills demand and supply.

Don Bosco Tech Africa (DBTA) is crucial in promoting peace by empowering young people through skills development. DBTA has a network of 118 Don Bosco TVET centres in 34 countries, reaching out to over 45,000 youths annually.

To help Africa improve its technical education, achieve higher productivity and improve the quality of its economic growth, DBTA has strategically oriented itself to promote youth skills for peace and development by;

1. Provision of quality and relevant technical skills through;
   • Modernization of Don Bosco TVET infrastructure, equipment, and curriculum,
   • Digital transition,
   • Promoting green transition,
   • Awareness creation and training on demand-driven skills,
   • Capacity building of our instructors within our network
2. Better governance and management of our TVET centres through,
   • Establishment of Quality Management Systems (QMS),
   • Capacity building on organizational management,
   • Enhancing understanding of the TVET ecosystem
3. Promoting access and equity using human right-based approaches by;
   • Enhancing training accessibility and affordability,
   • Enhancing inclusivity
4. Funding and financing.
   • Promotion of the use of financial management systems,
   • Sustainable revenue streams, and
   • Promoting networking and partnerships.

For peace and development, let us promote youth skills!