This story was written by the ILO Newsroom For official ILO statements and speeches, please visit our “Statements and Speeches” section.

Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth – Engagement Platform

Partners of Decent Jobs for Youth launch global engagement platform for joint action

Governments, social partners, the UN System, youth and civil society, the private sector and key youth employment stakeholders launched global engagement platform for joint action on decent jobs for youth in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

News | 29 November 2017
GENEVA (ILO News) – Partners of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth met in Geneva to launch its digital engagement platform, an open space for joint action and collaboration to intensify effective investments in youth employment.

Decent Jobs for Youth: Scaling up action and impact

In 2017, an estimated 70.9 million youth are unemployed and 160.6 million youth are working, yet living in poverty. Furthermore, youth employment investments remain small and fragmented, despite increased policy attention.

In response to this ongoing youth employment challenge, Decent Jobs for Youth was launched in 2016 as the global initiative to scale up action and impact on youth employment in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Decent Jobs for Youth is a multi-stakeholder alliance of committed partners taking coordinated action across a variety of thematic priorities, sharing knowledge and leveraging resources for more and better jobs for young women and men. Ms. Azita Berar Awad, Director of the ILO Employment Policy Department, highlighted the guiding principles of the Global Initiative and emphasized the need for investments in both demand and supply side interventions, coherence and complementarity between public policies and private investments, and the promotion of human rights, gender equality and youth engagement.

Launching the engagement platform for joint effective and innovative actions on youth employment

The engagement platform of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth was launched by the ILO Director-General, Mr. Guy Ryder. “The Platform is centred on the commitments of partners to promote youth employment” said Mr. Ryder in the presence of senior representatives from member States, social partners, the UN system, business, youth and civil society. He issued an open invitation to join committed partners and world youth employment leaders and experts through this new engagement platform. “Let’s work together to make a difference in the lives of young people everywhere.”

The engagement platform provides an inclusive space to scale up existing efforts, catalyze partnerships and strengthen coherence in youth employment action national, regional and global levels. Commitments pledged to Decent Jobs for Youth feed directly into the UN Partnerships for SDGs Platform and inform the follow-up to the 2030 Agenda including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Partners across sectors asserted their alliance and pledged support to the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth. The governments of Spain and Luxembourg reaffirmed their contributions and the strong value they attach to the partnership. “In an interconnected and ever-changing world, success can only be achieved by joining efforts and working together” said H.E. Mr. Gonzalez-Aller Jurado, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations.

Launching the ILO Toolkit for Quality Apprenticeships

In close connection to the thematic priorities of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, ILO Director-General also launched the “ILO Toolkit for Quality Apprenticeships”. The toolkit provides comprehensive information and practical tools for policy-makers engaged in Quality Apprenticeships. The Toolkit relies on six strategic building blocks, namely:
  • Meaningful social dialogue
  • Robust regulatory framework
  • Clear roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders
  • Equitable funding arrangements between government  and employers
  • Strong labour market relevance to ensure employability of graduates
  • Inclusiveness