Young people are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and continuously exposed to lower quality of jobs, greater labor market inequalities, and longer and more insecure school-to-work transitions. In addition, women are more likely to be underemployed and under-paid, and to undertake part-time jobs or work under temporary contracts. One reason for youth unemployment is structural unemployment, a mismatch between the skills that workers in the economy can offer and the skills demanded of workers by employers. Structural unemployment affects all regions around the world and it impacts not only economies but also hampers the transition to equitable and inclusive societies envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to make a smooth transition to work. Skills and jobs for youth feature prominently in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and SDG target 4.4 calls for a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills. World Youth Skills Day In December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 15th July as World Youth Skills Day. The goal is to achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth as a means of addressing the challenges of unemployment and under employment. World Youth Skills Day 2025 The theme for 2025 World Youth Skills Day is "Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills". 15 July 2025 marks the 10th anniversary since World Youth Skills Day (WYSD). This year’s theme focuses on Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution reshapes economies through Artificial Intelligence (AI), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) must evolve to equip youth with future-ready skills. AI is transforming how we live, learn and work - but it also poses serious risks if not implemented equitably. The day also calls for to recognize the power of young people as drivers of change—and commit to equipping them with AI and digital skills to tackle today’s challenges and shape a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable future. AI is rapidly changing TVET by: Personalizing learning through intelligent tutoring systems Supporting immersive training using virtual reality (VR) Streamlining certification and career guidance Modernizing curricula and aligning training with labour market needs But without systemic reform, the digital divide will grow, especially for marginalized youth. Did You Know? About 450 million youth (7 out of 10) are economically disengaged, due to lack of adequate skills to succeed in the labour market . 86% of students do not feel adequately prepared for an AI-enabled workplace . In 2022, over 40% of young people were not in employment, education or training (NEET). While 40.3% of young men were projected to be employed, only 27.4% of young women had access to employment opportunities. 90% of adolescent girls and young women in low-income countries are offline . Even in the world’s richest countries, only 1 in 10 fifteen-year-olds use digital devices for learning more than an hour a week. Globally, only 16% of countries have adopted laws addressing cyberbullying in education, with 38% of those enacted since the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: UN Related resources UNESCO-UNEVOC Youth and Skills WorldSkills United Nations resolution on WYSD United Nations - World Youth Report (WYR)