GENEVA (ILO News) – The ILO and UNICEF have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Skills Development.

The agreement was signed virtually by the ILO’s Director-General, Guy Ryder, and Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF.

The MOU is intended to strengthen collaboration between the two agencies, in support of a lifelong approach to learning that will improve the employability of young people and promote a smoother school-to-work transition. It proposes a range of interventions that are easily adaptable to suit different countries and can be implemented jointly.

The agreement also brings together the UN Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth (DJY), led by the ILO, and Generation Unlimited (GenU), led by UNICEF and capitalizes on the multi-stakeholder memberships of both agencies.

The MOU also supports the aims of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, in particular Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

Speaking after the signing, Ryder said, "I welcome our new partnership with UNICEF to strengthen education and skills. It's a clear joint commitment for action to improve young people's job prospects and transitions from school to work, particularly in the context of COVID-19. The MOU is a blueprint for strong collaboration to promote life-long learning in support of the 2030 Agenda."

Fore said, “We know that collaboration will be essential and that it will be very important to reimagine the world. Education and skills are areas where we can make enormous change. We have a once in a generation opportunity – something that will allow us to leapfrog the technologies to reach every child in every community. That will create a level playing field that our world has not yet seen. That is an area that together UNICEF and ILO can work on together strongly.”