Against the backdrop of sluggish global economic recovery and rising youth unemployment, UNESCO has implemented systemic initiatives in recent years, including innovating technical and vocational education, strengthening digital skills training, and promoting gender equality in employment, to build sustainable bridges from education to work for young people worldwide. Recent data shows these efforts have yielded significant results across member states, injecting new momentum into the global youth labour market.
Iuilding a Global TVET Policy Framework Anchored in Employability
According to UNESCO’s Recommendation on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (2015): Results of the Second Consultation of Member States (2019–2022), over 67% of member states have integrated Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into national development strategies. For example:
Malaysia established an industry-led curriculum renewal mechanism, boosting the employment rate of mechanical engineering graduates to 92%.
South Africa launched its National Skills Development Plan, creating sector-specific skills councils to align training programs with the needs of key industries like mining and tourism.
Digital transformation has emerged as a policy priority, with 85% of member states initiating TVET digitisation efforts between 2019 and 2022. Notable examples include:
Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic introduced virtual simulation labs, improving IT students’ practical skills by 40%.
Kenya: A “Digital Skills Passport” system allows employers to verify graduate competencies instantly, reducing youth job preparation time by six months on average.
II. Bridging Gender Gaps and Empowering Women in STEM
A joint UNESCO-IFC study, Closing the Gender Gap in Education and Employment, reveals that while women account for 54% of global higher education enrollments, they comprise fewer than 30% of engineering graduates. To address this, UNESCO has partnered with initiatives like Women@Dior, a global mentorship program connecting female students with corporate leaders. To date, the program has helped nearly 12,000 women in 12 countries—including Mexico and Morocco—break career barriers.
Case highlights:
Bangladesh: Dhaka Polytechnic Institute’s female-only scholarships increased women’s enrollment in mechanical engineering from 5% to 22%.
UAE: Abu Dhabi Technical College’s virtual nursing training system raised remote practical exam pass rates for women to 89%.
IFC tracking data shows that women who received targeted career guidance reduced the gender pay gap at entry-level positions to 8%, a 12-percentage-point improvement over industry averages.
III. Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Share TVET Benefits
To address resource gaps in low- and middle-income countries, UNESCO has expanded South-South collaboration:
Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Polytechnic adopted South Korea’s POSCO steel training system, cutting metallurgy students’ equipment operation errors by 60%.
East Africa: A cross-border skills certification framework enables mutual recognition of automotive technician qualifications across Kenya, Tanzania, and three other nations.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: The Vocational Education Alliance has trained 10,000 technicians in high-speed rail and digital infrastructure for partner countries.
UNESCO is now advancing an employment-focused TVET quality assessment system, developing AI-driven career navigation tools, and refining skills-upgrading mechanisms for marginalised groups. As Director-General Audrey Azoulay stated: “Equipping youth with future-ready skills is the most powerful engine for global economic recovery.” With digital and green transitions driving change, UNESCO is reshaping possibilities for youth employment ecosystems worldwide.
More details:
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386135
https://www.ifc.org/en/insights-reports/2025/closing-the-gap-for-women-in-education-and-employment
Sources: UNESCO (July 12, 2023; October 22, 2024); IFC (April 17, 2025)
Liu Zijian, Research Institute for International and Comparative Education, Shanghai Normal University
