Celebrating the 10th anniversary of WYSD.

On July 15th; From 9:30-15:50 CEST (Paris time); Join the UNESCO event at the Learning Planet Institute in Paris a High-level panel discussions with UN officials, policy-makers, educators and youth leaders.

World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 July 2014 to highlight the strategic importance of equipping young people with the skills needed for employment, decent work, entrepreneurship, and for addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development. Since its inception, WYSD has served as a global platform for dialogue among youth, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, policymakers, development partners, and the private sector, fostering collaboration and commitment to youth skills development. In response to the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and as part of the 2020 WYSD celebrations, UNESCO launched the Global Skills Academy (GSA) under the umbrella of the Global Education Coalition. The GSA was established as a strategic initiative aimed at equipping ten million youth and adults with essential skills for improved employability and lifelong learning by 2029. The year 2025 marks a significant dual milestone: the 10th anniversary of World Youth Skills Day and the 5th anniversary of the Global Skills Academy. To commemorate these milestones, UNESCO will convene a global hybrid event on 15 July 2025, from 09:00 to 16:30 CET, at the Learning Planet Institute in Paris, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to reflect on progress, renew commitments, and explore future pathways. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution accelerates-driven by artificial intelligence (AI)-TVET systems are at a crossroads. While AI offers transformative tools for innovation, personalized learning, and skill development, it also poses significant challenges. Without systemic reforms and targeted investments, the digital divide may deepen, exacerbating existing inequalities and leaving marginalized youth further behind. In this context, the global event will provide a space to reflect on how AI is reshaping the global labour market and how young people can be empowered to navigate and thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape. The theme for WYSD 2025, "Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills", underscores the urgency of integrating AI into TVET systems in ways that foster inclusive, equitable, and resilient societies while bridging the digital divide

AGENDA PROGRAMME

8:30 – 9:30 Arrival | Registration | welcome coffee 

9:30 – 9:40 Welcome & introduction

 9:40 - 9:45 WYSD video from past 10 years: Introduce WYSD’s history.

 9:45- 10:05 Keynote Speeches: Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills • Mr. Francois Tadei, Co-Founder & Director, Learning Planet Institute (Host’s welcome) • H.E. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations: written Message delivered by a Youth representative • Representative of the Delegation of Portugal to France and to UNESCO (tbc) • H.E. Manisha Gunasekera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO • Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO 

10:05-10:20 Youth perspectives on AI: 2025 survey report on TVET and AI.

10:20-11:05 Panel 1, Youth focus group: AI in TVET: A tool for empowerment or a threat to human potential. Speakers: • Ayeni Oluwatobi Dorcas ( MissTechy), Nigeria • Abdulaziz Essa Ali Buabdulla, United Arab Emirates (UAE) • Muhammad Oka Ramadhan, Indonesia • Franceska Pia Aquilina, Malta • Vannia Bascuñan, Chile • Nurit Davidowicz, Austria • Shweta Ratanpura, India • Hira Shehzadi, Pakistan 

11:05-11:10 Youth Voices video: Youth voices campaign 

11:10-12:20 Global Skills Academy 5th anniversary: AI skills demand: Key trends, challenges and opportunities • GSA Partners 

12:20-12:35 Global Skills Tracker live demonstration • Claudia Pompa, UNESCO 

12:35-13:30 Lunch break

13:30-13:35 WYSD around the world: Intervention from a UNEVOC Centre • Lyza Belle Lagura, Coordinator, Iloilo Science and Technology University, Philippines.

13:35- 14:20 Panel 2, Policy and Practice: Skills Demand, Trends, and Institutional Readiness Speakers: • Borhene Chakroun, Director for Policies and Lifelong learning UNESCO • Heike Kuhn, Head of Education Division, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) • Ray English, WorldSkills International (WSI) Board Member for strategic Development, and Delegate for WorldSkills Ireland • Matteo Sgarzi, Head of Mission, Centre for Study and Research on Training and Qualifications (Cereq) France • Amandine Durr, Chief Product Officer, Back Market • Ayeni Oluwatobi Dorcas, Youth Representative, Nigeria

14:20-14:30 Audience Engagement: Mentimeter.

14:30-14:45 Coffee break.

14:45-15:30 Co-Creation and Innovation: AI-ready TVET systems (Round Table discussion) Breakout room 1- Amphitheatre (Level - 2) • Srinivas Reddy, Chief, Skills and Employability Branch, International Labour Organisation (ILO) • El Iza Mohamedou, Head, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Centre for Skills • Inge Gorostiaga, Director of Digital Transformation and Advanced Learning, Regional Ministry of Education, Basque Government, Spain • Ben Khalid Hima, Délégué général du fonds de dotation, KPMG France • Shweta Ratanpura, Youth Representative, India

14:45-15:30 Applying AI in the Classroom and Workplace (World Café knowledge sharing format) Break out Room 2- Classroom 1.10 (1st Floor) 

• Table 1: Learner Engagement & Learning Styles; Franceska Pia Aquilina, Youth Representative, Malta

• Table 2: Ethics/Media Literacy & Responsible Use; Muhammad Oka Ramadhan, Youth Representative, Indonesia

• Table 3: Encouraging Agency & Human-Centric Pedagogies; Sanil Pandhare,Youth Representative, India 

14:45-15:30 Youth-Led Innovation Ecosystems – Co-creating and Leading Skills Solutions (Interactive dialogue format) Break out Room 2- Classroom 1.11 (1st Floor) • Maria Angelica, Youth Representative, Colombia • Learning Planet Institute (Students) 

15:30-15:50 Closing and call to action: Engagement and Amplification • Borhene Chakroun, Director for Policies and Lifelong learning UNESCO 

15:50- 16:30 Marketplace • Free interaction • Tea ceremony, by China POCY Group 

Happy World Youth Skills Day - Celebrating 10 years of impact!

The Hybrid event will be held with interpretation to French. Get the Agenda, the Provisional concept note and the Participant's logistic note.

Register to participate online!