'They want digital and transferable skills to succeed in the workplace of the future'
Nearly a third of young people globally feel their current education is not preparing them with the skills they need to get jobs, according to UNICEF.
Thirty-one per cent say that the skills and training programs offered to them did not match their career aspirations, found UNICEF's survey of 40,000 young people in 150 countries. And nearly four in 10 (39 per cent) say that the jobs they seek are not available in their communities.
Key skills that young people want to acquire to help them gain employment in the next decade include leadership (22 per cent), analytical thinking and innovation (19 per cent) and information and data processing (16 per cent).
"Young people are telling us they want digital and transferable skills to succeed in the workplace of the future," says Henrietta Fore, UNICEF executive director. "This crucial need can only be met through the contributions of public and private partners around the globe. That is why we are working with partners like PwC to provide opportunities for personal growth and prosperity for young people everywhere."
To address some of these challenges, UNICEF and PwC are joining forces over the next three years to help equip young people around the world with the skills they need for future work. The collaboration will support research on the growing global skills challenge and develop, expand and fund education and skills programmes in countries including India and South Africa.
“Business has a responsibility to help address the upskilling challenge for all of our stakeholders, including the communities in which we live and work and all of their citizens,” says Bob Moritz, chair of the PwC Network. “It also makes business sense: In PwC's latest Global CEO Survey, three-quarters of CEOs said the lack of available skills is a major concern and risk. Many of the people who need upskilling the most have the least access to opportunities,”
A Ceridian survey found that the shortage of skilled talent is among the top concerns for North American CEOs in 2020. And while regulatory changes and economic conditions are still at the top of the list, nearly half of the 10 biggest risk concerns for board members and C-suite leaders around the globe relate to company culture, talent acquisition and development for the more digital future, says a separate report.
