Year in Review 2024

About

Over the next decade, 1.2 billion youth aged 15–24 years are set to enter the working-age population. Most of them face barriers to acquiring job-relevant skills and lack access to dignified livelihoods – challenges that will only intensify as artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, and economic volatility accelerate workforce change.

Closing the global skills and employment gap is critical for both young people and the broader economy, while representing a great opportunity to help shape a global economy that truly works for everyone. When youth gain access to quality skilling and livelihood pathways, communities become more resilient, and economies are better positioned to sustain growth. In short, everyone benefits.

Recognizing these challenges and opportunities, GenU drove significant progress throughout 2024, scaling up future-focused skilling and livelihood initiatives – particularly in the digital and green sectors, where the emergence of new opportunities is fastest.

Leveraging the extensive UNICEF field presence and the GenU Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) network, GenU reached 64 million young people across 57 countries in 2024. 89 per cent of all programmes focused on digital and/or green sectors, and young women accounted for 52 per cent of the total reach.