Young people’s participation and civic engagement

Do you know what works to promote adolescent participation and civic engagement? Check out this "Guide to action" and you will find a comprehensive set of evidences that will inform and support your work!

The current generation of young people – numbering 1.8 billion – is one-quarter of the world’s population1 and a dominant force now and in the decades to come. However, investments in quality wage and selfemployment fall short of young people’s aspirations, leaving a growing pool of young jobseekers with an insufficient number of decent jobs. Many education systems are struggling to prepare young people with skills which meet employer’s expectations. The COVID-19 pandemic and related global recession have further exacerbated the socio-economic challenges facing youth, which put at risk many of the gains made in recent years to advance young people’s opportunities.

Generation Unlimited and the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth are two multi-stakeholder alliances working together to mobilize action and foster skills, employment and the meaningful participation of young people across the globe. By bringing young people together with governments, social partners, the private sector, and a range of international and local organizations, they connect secondary-age education and training to a complex and fast-changing world of work, while easing the transition of young people into decent jobs. Efforts are also being made to foster youth-led entrepreneurship and empower a generation of young people to fully engage as part of their societies.