Promote Future-fit Careers
Now is the moment to promote future-fit careers, so that skills development keeps pace with labour market needs.
New sectors are opening, but today’s youth lack the skills to take up the new roles in future. Young people must urgently acquire the skills to enter these sectors or to create their own livelihoods.
Innovative technologies, demographic shifts and the impacts of COVID-19 are transforming our economies and the types of skills needed for a stable livelihood. Radical career shifts are expected to become the norm. And 60 per cent of the global workforce will be self-employed by 2027.
Jobs in new technologies, the green economy and the cultural and creative industries are increasing rapidly in number. Youth must be equipped with skills to unlock these life-changing opportunities.
Steps you can take
Your organization can use its high profile to engage various audiences on the urgency of skilling, as well as actively help to connect youth to opportunity.
Host career fairs
Host a career fair to speak directly to young people about current and future careers in your sector and organization. To reflect a good balance of career options, think about joining forces with other, related organizations that can also offer career guidance.
Taking your career fair to a school or community centre could make the event more accessible to young people. You could also invite along smaller, local employers to discuss job opportunities in the immediate area.
Or you could host it in the digital realm, like the virtual career fair hosted by Jobberman in Nigeria in 2020. If you think this is the route for you, check out Virtual Career Fair: The ultimate guide (2022).
Leaders, employees and other adults can all take part in the career fair by sharing their career path with young people. It’s helpful and inspiring to hear how others have reached their career goals.
Your career fair can help to boost interest in sectors with skills gaps. And knowing what careers are likely to be available to youth in future can help them tailor their skilling journey to match.
Ask employees to take part in career fairs and as mentors
Let young people benefit from your employees’ experience. Insights from adults who have already carved out a successful career can be hugely inspiring – and useful – to today’s youth.
It can also be a good way for your organization to improve employee engagement.
Seek out career-minded people who would be willing to take part in career fairs or act as mentors to youth. They will need to be good listeners as well as effective communicators.
Direct your employees to skilling resources that they can share with the young people they meet. It’s really helpful to give young people practical pointers on how they can progress their skilling journey.
Think too about social media channels, your organization’s website and in-person events. Employees can also actively dispense career guidance via these avenues.
Share insights on in-demand skills
You know best what skills are needed in your sector. Share your insights with the employees of tomorrow, to help them prepare for their future roles.
Ultimately, investing in young people’s skilling journey now will deliver you a trained and productive workforce in years to come.
Visit the Youth Foresight website to read up on four ways to bridge the global skills gap and how to address the widening skills gap.
You can also watch GenU’s virtual dialogue with youth for World Youth Skills Day 2021.
Invest in the workforce of tomorrow by doing your bit to advise today’s young people on their career options and, importantly, how to achieve their ambitions.
