From Learning to Earning: How Multistakeholder Partnerships Are Shaping the Future Workforce
An astute young person once said that while youth make up 25% of the population, they represent 100% of the future. This insight resonates when considering the challenges businesses face in developing the necessary skills for a sustainable, digitally transformed future. Empowering young people is crucial, not only for their own growth but for addressing critical challenges, such as climate resilience, and preparing them to lead in a rapidly evolving world.
The global skills and opportunity gap is a recurring topic at landmark events such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and the UN General Assembly and Climate Week in New York. This is no different at the current UN Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
That’s because today’s youth are the leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers of tomorrow. However, as these gaps remain, it’s important to accelerate active engagement and enhance collaboration across sectors. Ensuring that young people are adequately prepared to enter and excel in the workforce is an investment in their future and a strategic imperative for businesses and societies worldwide. Without adequate learning pathways, young people risk unemployment and businesses may struggle to compete in the burgeoning green and digital economies due to a widening talent shortage.
Human Capital and Youth Day
For this reason, November 18 has been designated as the COP29 theme day for Human Capital Development for Climate Resilience. The initiative underscores that addressing climate change requires a holistic approach supported by healthier, better educated, and adequately skilled young people.
The Human Capital Day serves as a reminder that tackling climate change requires societal transformation – and there is no better time than now. A key component of this shift is ensuring access to quality education and skill development opportunities for youth that lead to tangible employment opportunities. According to the?International Labour Organization?(ILO), global youth unemployment was 13% in 2023, with many young people facing limited prospects for stable and decent work. At the same time, the?World Economic Forum found that 44% of businesses report difficulties in finding talent with the right skills to fill jobs.
At SAP, we believe in our responsibility to support the next generation of professionals and users with our best-in-class digital learning. We fully support the COP29 agenda for human capital and are actively involved with the global community of governments, financial institutions, and private sector entities.
SAP Education and Employment Programs
SAP has several programs and partnerships to help tackle the deepening mismatch between the supply of young job seekers and the demand for skilled talent. These initiatives focus on human capital development and provide valuable educational opportunities for youth:
To further amplify youth empowerment, SAP actively collaborates with leading youth organizations. Through these partnerships, SAP brings young voices to the forefront of decision-making, fostering intergenerational collaboration and innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.
As the world grapples with urgent challenges like climate change and digital transformation, SAP believes that investing in youth and human development has never been more crucial. SAP’s contribution to building a sustainable future through initiatives that equip young people with job-ready skills underscores the importance of a whole-of-society approach.
By collaborating with global multistakeholder partners and empowering the next generation, we can help bridge the talent gap, foster climate resilience, and ensure that today’s youth are prepared to lead us into a more sustainable and inclusive future.
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6 天前I couldn't agree more with the importance of bridging the talent gap, especially in the face of pressing global challenges. In my experience, businesses, governments, and communities can all play a crucial role in empowering the next generation with the skills and education they need to succeed.
Accelerating (Social) Innovation in Europe, Asia and Africa
1 周Robert Pasicko
Great article and well balanced I. Terms of the external needs and challenges facing the world today, to the impactful Programmes that SAP has implemented to address the challenges of today and the future ??!