World Youth Skills Day – July 15
July 23by Lucia Ene-Lesikar (Chair, Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network – CYCN), Bodh Maathura (Policy and Advocacy Lead, CYCN), Ashraf Nehal (Asia Regional Lead, CYCN)
Introduction: Marking a Decade of World Youth Skills Day
July 15, 2025 marks ten years since the United Nations General Assembly established World Youth Skills Day. The theme this year, “Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills”, invites us to reflect on how we are currently equipping young people across the Commonwealth – and how we can continue building capacity in these critical areas, particularly for addressing the climate crisis.
A Challenging Landscape: Why Youth Skills Day Matters
As young people today, we are navigating a complex and unstable global job market and a rapidly changing climate. Technology – and AI in particular – is already transforming the way we work. These rapid developments bring exciting opportunities, as well as challenges around ethics, ownership and access.
According to the International Labour Organization, 12.8% of young people globally—around 64.9 million individuals, —are unemployed as of 2024 and 2025, the lowest rate in 15 years. Many young people, however, continue to face barriers to accessing meaningful and empowering work. Rising inequality, automation, economic instability, and the climate crisis make digital and AI fluency essential for securing future-proof employment.
We must also consider the climate impact of AI and technology. This is often overlooked, and yet it is critical that innovation supports the planet rather than just extracting from it.
The Commonwealth is helping to drive a youth-centred approach to upskilling and development by investing in young people from across the globe.
Upskilling in Action: Our Experiences of the Commonwealth’s Youth Programmes
In recognition of the broad range of ways in which the Commonwealth supports young people to upskill, we have gathered some experiences of our own experiences with upskilling through the Commonwealth:
Bodh Maathura:
The Commonwealth Asia Regional Youth Leadership Summit in Kuala Lumpur was my first experience of a truly meaningful intergenerational engagement, where we sat alongside Senior Officials at the same table to brainstorm solutions to shared regional challenges. The summit placed a strong focus on advocacy and strategic leadership skills, equipping us to lead with vision while ensuring tangible, impactful outcomes. The youth leaders representing their national youth councils were empowered to form a regional alliance (CAYA) to enhance the impact locally and amplify their voices globally.
Lucia Ene-Lesikar:
The Commonwealth Youth Leadership Summit was a pivotal moment in my development as a youth leader. It brought together peers from across the Commonwealth, combining personal and professional development. It has helped me with confidence and provided clear direction to my team.
Ashraf Nehal:
Participating in the Commonwealth Climate Negotiators training ahead of COP29 was a defining moment for young people passionate about climate leadership. Under the guidance of experts, I gained first-hand skills in drafting positions, building alliances, and advocating for vulnerable regions to achieve climate justice and drive sustainability. The simulation exercises gave me the confidence to translate these learnings into real-world impact. The Commonwealth’s approach—practical, and collaborative, and ongoing support provided a critical peer network that shaped my engagement across various COP29 side events and negotiations.
Digital Upskilling: The Commonwealth AI Academy
Digital skills, especially in artificial intelligence (AI), are essential for youth development, empowering young people to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world. These skills open doors to better education, employment opportunities, and innovative problem-solving, helping youth realize their full potential.
To support youth digital capacity, the Commonwealth launched the AI Academy which features a range of self-paced short courses:
- Introduction to AI for Youth
- Introduction to Responsible AI Skills
- Introduction to Generative AI
Beyond Opportunities
The Commonwealth’s approach goes deeper than just online courses.
We need to create a culture of upskilling, beyond formal education, actively encouraging young people to continually develop digital and AI fluency. At the same time, increasing digital access to young people across the Commonwealth to reduce the digital skills gap.
Conclusion
More than just a celebration, World Youth Skills Day is a call to action. It invites youth, policymakers, employers, NGOs and other stakeholders to co-create pathways for the future that centre youth.
One thing is certain, youth upskilling is not optional, it is essential. For a just, connected and prosperous Commonwealth, we must empower a generation of digitally literate young people with access to meaningful employment, decent work and thriving entrepreneurship.
Links
Introduction to Youth for AI: https://cwlearn.commonwealth.int/enrol/index.php?id=60
Introduction to Responsible AI Skills:
Introduction to Generative AI: https://cwlearn.commonwealth.int/enrol/index.php?id=55
