Medway Liberal Democrats support World Youth Skills Day on Wednesday 15th July
On 15 July, UNESCO-UNEVOC will join the global celebrations to mark World Youth Skills Day (WYSD). The aim of WYSD is to recognize the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and to highlight the crucial role of skilled youth in addressing current and future global challenges.
Local Liberal Democrats strongly support the work of the National Citizen Service (NCS). The NCS is an opportunity for young people in the Medway Towns to take on new challenges, meet new friends and develop personal and social development skills for work and life. Medway has already benefitted from NCS experience, with inspiring social action projects, which helps develop the skills not taught in school and being a part of the NCS can be life-changing experience for 16-17 year olds.
We have participated in a number of 'Political Question Time' panel discussions organised by NCS. The breadth and quality of the questions asked is always impressive and reflects the civic-minded nature of NCS participants. We have seen for ourselves how well the NCS is run and know that they ensure that there is a social mix of participants, which builds a greater tolerance, empathy, acceptance and understanding of others within the community which helps to foster greater cohesion.
The NCS has provided a means for young people in our area to meet different people within our community, respect diversity and equality of others by contributing to a wider society and life in Medway. It also encourages young people from a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, classes and different parts of the Medway area to mix, develop team work skills and work together.
In these challenging times, when more young people are experiencing anxiety over their future and employment prospects, the NCS wants to make its programme of activities and experience safe and open for everyone taking part. The latest news from the NCS is that its repositioned its summer programme to the autumn.
Liberal Democrats know that once restrictions have been lifted, the work and role of the NCS will contribute to our community and in a post-COVID-19 Medway, as young people are called upon to contribute to the recovery effort, they will need to be equipped with the skills to successfully manage evolving challenges and the resilience to adapt to future disruptions.
For more information on the role of the NCS please visit: https://wearencs.com/ and its 'Staying Connected' hub 'no you can't' into 'No We Can' and for up to date news on their summer programme.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
World Youth Skills Day 2020 will take place in a challenging context. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have led to the worldwide closure of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, threatening the continuity of skills development. UNESCO currently estimates that nearly 70% of the world's learners are affected by school closures
across education levels. Respondents to a survey of TVET institutions, jointly collected by UNESCO, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank, reported that distance training has become the most common way of imparting skills, with considerable difficulties regarding, among others, curricula adaptation, trainee and trainer preparedness, connectivity, or assessment and certification processes.
Prior to the current crisis, young people aged 15-24 were three times more likely than adults to be unemployed and often faced a prolonged school-to-work transition period.
For more information on World Youth Skills Day
https://unevoc.unesco.org/wysd/World+Youth+Skills+Day
For more information on the role of the NCS please visit: https://wearencs.com/