Date and Time:
20 June 2023
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm (GMT+5:30/New Delhi time)
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm (GMT+7/Bangkok time)
Type of event:
Sub-Regional Online Webinar
Organizers:
Jointly organized by International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), within the framework of the Asia and the Pacific Adolescent and Youth Learning and Skills Development Working Group.
Background
In many countries across Asia and the Pacific region, youth are in a vulnerable labour market situation. This is reflected in the high rates of youth not in employment, education or training (youth NEET) in South Asia which are among the highest of all regions. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one in every four young persons aged between 15-24, a total of 155 million youths in the region in 2019 were NEET and almost three quarters of youth are comprised primarily of young women. The youth NEET situation is significantly different across subregions. Between 2010-2019, South Asia consistently recorded the highest youth NEET rate among the sub-regions at 29.2 per cent.
As a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis which devastated mobility and labour market access, fewer young people were determined to look for work, thus reinforcing the shift of youth away from unemployment and into inactivity. The continuing financial crisis together with the tightening of the labour market further limit the labour market recovery for youth. As a result, youth are at risk of social exclusion and are limited in contributing to the economies and societies.
The Asia and the Pacific region have responded to this crisis with comprehensive economic and labour market measures. However, in spite of government’s huge investment, the social and economic impacts of the pandemic on young people will continue to persist.
Consequently, in addition to the economic support, governments and numerous stakeholders will need to work together in devising and implementing youth-targeted policies to ensure a human-centred recovery.
To further explore these issues, ILO carried out an econometric analysis on youth NEET in five South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
For more information about the topic, please see ILO (2022) Youth not in employment, education or training in Asia and the Pacific: Trends and policy considerations and How NEET are developing and emerging economies? (Chapter 3 in ILO (2023) Global Employment Policy Review 2023.
Webinar Objectives
The Sub-Regional webinar on ‘Youth NEET in South Asia’ aims to:
- Share and foster discussions on the youth NEET trends in South Asia to better understand the experiences of young people and help inform future policymaking and programming;
- Examine the preliminary findings of the analysis, “NEET isn’t working? Determinants and time-use of young people not in employment, education or training in South Asia” and reflect on forms of labour that shape NEET experience;
- Highlight country-level insights from South Asia
Webinar Format
The 75-minute Webinar will include a presentation and a moderated panel discussion by discussants consisting of academia, policy maker and youth representative. A moderator will facilitate the discussion between the discussants. A reflection and Q&A session will follow the discussion.
The webinar will be held in English and conducted through the Zoom webinar platform.
Webinar Recording
Key Documents and Presentations
For more information
Please contact the Secretariat of the Asia and the Pacific Adolescent and Youth Learning and Skills Development Working Group
Email: secretariat.ayeswg@unesco.org
