Jobs entry conditions are tough for disadvantaged youth in a tight labor market. South African employers prefer to hire employees who have at least completed a secondary school education and one year of work experience. Yet, over 47 percent of South Africa’s unemployed youth have education levels below secondary (termed “Matric” in South Africa) level education and most youth have not held a job. However, growing evidence globally and in South Africa demonstrates that 21st century skills – non-technical skills which include executive function skills and socioemotional skills – rival technical skills in their ability to positively impact employment and earnings, and may be the single most important predictor of a new employee’s success, providing a new entry point for disadvantaged youth.
This report identifies the main trends and challenges that are shaping the fashion, textile, and fine crafts sector in Africa in order to provide evidence-based policy recommendations for sustainable growth.
The present book comes at a pivotal moment in the fight against the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises. These crises – without any exaggeration – threaten our very survival as humanity. Tipping points are getting dangerously near, and the window for decisive action is closing fast. The circular economy is the model of the future, for Europe and the world. This is why it is one of the pillars of the European Green Deal. Making our economies circular could cut EU industrial emissions by 56% annually by 2050. It would bring balance back to our relationship with nature and reduce our vulnerability to disruptions in global, complex supply chains. The shift to a circular economy needs to happen at a global scale as well. This is why we launched the Global Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Alliance together with UNEP, why we push for ambitious global agreements across the board, and why we work with businesses from all over the world.
This report assesses the economic impact of this new era of AI. It suggests that generative AI is poised to transform roles and boost performance across functions such as sales and marketing, customer operations, and software development.
The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged discussion of the broader culture as representing, in some instances, a “global public good”, through its capacity to promote social cohesion, increase people’s resilience and connect communities to different forms of cultural expression, in addition to its commercial value. This report will focus on full and productive employment and decent work for workers and enterprises that produce specific goods and deliver services, in particular on the arts and entertainment side of the cultural and creative ecosystem, including the performing arts; music; dance; both live and recorded performance (sound or audiovisual); the visual arts; books; and gaming and animation.
This report is a product of a two-year engagement between the World Bank team and Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB). It aims to overview the Ejo Heza scheme, a local term that translates to ‘a better future,’ not only holds the promise of income security at older ages but can also be a much-needed source for domestic resource mobilization in the country. The report highlight its key strengths, and provide recommendations to improve coverage, adequacy, operational efficiency, and long-run viability.
This S4YE Knowledge Brief series highlights job matching platforms employed by public agencies that leverage advanced technology to connect job seekers and employers. It explores trends in technical features, deployment, and implementation of these platforms, catering to practitioners seeking insights into the practical implications of technology-driven employment solutions.
People with disabilities face serious barriers to finding employment. An artificial intelligence startup in Thailand is solving several problems at once by tapping this forgotten labor force.
High school students in Uganda are tackling plastic pollution with creativity and business savvy. Through the Asante Africa Foundation's program, they learned leadership and entrepreneurship skills. Now, they're using recycled plastic to create and sell artwork, transforming waste into income. Their "Together as One Initiative" aims not only to clean up their community but also to empower others through education and sustainable solutions.
This note is part of a series of Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) knowledge briefs focused on the Orange Economy or creative sectors. This third note discusses the film industry and its potential to be a source of jobs for youth. It highlights the contribution of the film industry to employment generation, economic growth, the formation of cultural and social values, and identity. The note also delves into emerging labor market trends in the film industry and analyzes the sector’s workforce composition by gender, education, and age. In addition, the note reviews current investment trends and near-term prospects in the industry.
This book shows agribusinesses how to develop more sustainable, resilient, and productive supply chains and the substantial impact of doing so on development. The book compiles innovative solutions and cutting-edge ideas to meet the challenges facing smallholders around the world. Chapter 10, "Youth Participation," was led by S4YE.
This S4YE report examines how countries can navigate the promise and perils of online gig work. It reveals that the online gig workforce is much larger than previously assumed with an estimated 154 million to 435 million online gig workers around the globe. For the first time ever, the report mapped and tracked regional platforms and gig workers who work in languages other than English.
New technologies, including the recent progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI), are transforming work and jobs worldwide. Climate change is also having an impact on the job market. To thrive in today’s world, young people need a full range of skills and knowledge to work, be active citizens, and live in the 21st century. This blog post explores how UNICEF is supporting young people with the skills they need to succeed in school, work and life.
Leveraging the ILO’s microdata, an analysis of global labour market and occupational trends highlights strategies to strengthen skills development and boost the competitiveness, agility, and resilience of youth.
This Knowledge Brief shares lessons on how the World Bank’s Promoting Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Social Protection and Employment Programs project team in Haiti worked to enhance the identification of persons with disabilities and provide them with skills for service sector jobs. The Brief highlights the importance of focusing on demand-driven skills, working with mainstream training providers, and proactive outreach to employers.
This knowledge brief highlights the relevance and challenges of business incubation services for youth in rural areas. It showcases learnings from several projects implemented by the World Bank and GIZ and provides examples of design elements of business incubation services for youth in rural areas. These include 1) creating a network-based ecosystem for rural incubation, 2) promoting on-site incubation as opposed to co-working space, 3) guaranteeing access to markets by involving the private sector, 4) Screening entrepreneurs, 5) combining different types of financial sustainability models based on local conditions, and 6) promotion of pro-women incubation to address the "triple burden" faced by young women in rural areas.
This presents the main benefits and obstacles to the use of digital technologies as well as the perception of digital technology's impact on the environment and society. Find here 6 key learnings and the study findings on digital maturity and usage dynamics.
This report examines the growing potential of India’s AI-led software as a service (SaaS) start-ups and analyzes the role that the country, which is already a leader in the global software ecosystem, can play in an AI-led future.
The objective of this report is to provide an understanding of the context, barriers, and practices related to approaches that increase employment and quality of employment among youth with disabilities, primarily in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This report largely draws on existing literature, activity reports, and consultations with practitioners and individuals with disabilities.
The pandemic has had dramatic effects in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) in MERCOSUR countries and Latin America. This sector, traditionally linked to the freelance workforce with limited social and economic protection, is experiencing the accelerated digitization of face-to-face activities and business models. Up-to-date and systematized data is therefore vital to assess and respond to the disruptive impact of the pandemic through evidence-based public policies. Policymakers and government technical teams, economists of the culture sector, artists and cultural workers, entrepreneurs, private investors and researchers will find reliable data and useful in-depth analysis of findings and trends. Sharing data with a regional perspective is key to identify new opportunities and strengthen cooperation in culture at the regional level.
