The report “Digital Opportunities: Innovative ICT Solutions for Youth Employment” has underlined the need of ensuring that youth around the world obtain digital literacy skills to qualify for the growing number of jobs that demand ICT skills. It has stated that governments should promote youth entrepreneurs by supporting innovation hubs, mobile app competitions, co-working spaces for digital entrepreneurs, online mentoring networks and a host of other innovative ICT-enabled resources.
The report was launched on Monday at the sixth ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2014 in Dubai. The conference being held under the theme ‘Broadband for Sustainable Development’ has focus on development priorities in telecommunications and ICT and will agree on the programmes, projects and initiatives to implement them.
One of the causes of youth unemployment is a skills mismatch between what the market is demanding and what institutions of learning – both formal and informal – are providing, the report explains. There are 73 million young people unemployed worldwide, and three times as many are underemployed, according to the International Labour Organisation.
In particular, many youth are not learning the digital skills that have become essential in virtually every market segment. The report explores these new learning opportunities, as well as a growing number of jobs and business opportunities for youth if they have the right skills.
“The ongoing ICT revolution is transforming existing sectors and fuelling new business creation such as the apps economy that didn’t exist a few years ago,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré. “The demand for both basic and more advanced ICT skills cuts across all sectors, from agriculture and construction to education and service industries to ICT jobs themselves, in both developing and developed countries.”
The report has aimed at raising awareness about new trends, entrepreneurship strategies as well as sharing resources to address the needs of youth and supporting governments in implementing youth employment. “This report aims to cast a spotlight on an area that offers promising solutions – digital jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities.” Said Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Burea which prepared the report.
As per him, there were possibilities to connect youth to these news oppurtunities by building awareness of the fores and innovations that were constantly shaping and reshaping pathways for employment and enterpreneurship.
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