For Youth Employment: Skills Work

by Gilles Vermot Desroches

Young people are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults. Women are also more likely to be underemployed and under-paid. That is why education and training are key determiners of success in the labor market.

To raise awareness of the need to invest in youth skills development, the UN designated 15 July as World Youth Skills Day. Skills and training in the energy access sector must be a policy priority, not a government and donor afterthought. Africa has set a goal of creating 25 million jobs in the next decade, yet of the 13 million youth entering the job market annually, only 3 million find jobs.

Ensuring access to sustainable energy
By 2030, 674 million people will still not have access to energy. That is why the UN Development Program established Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) as a key initiative for ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and efficient energy for all by 2030.

It is anticipated that this initiative will have a net positive effect on jobs creation in the energy industry around the world. A report launched by Power for All with the support of the Schneider Electric Foundation presents the results of the first annual jobs census for the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) generation sector. 

Read the full article on the Schneider Electric Energy Regulations blog