Announcing the Youth-Led Solutions Summit on the Future of Work

9 April 2021

This three-day virtual event will cross time zones to bring together global voices from youth organizations, corporations, public agencies, international organizations, academia and research groups.

We're excited to announce YMCA's second  Youth-Led Solutions Summit on the Future of Work, that will take place from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 June 2021.

This three-day virtual event will cross time zones to bring together global voices from youth organizations, corporations, public agencies, international organizations, academia and research groups.

Its aim is to empower young people to identify their unique employment pathway in a world of work in transformation, and to show them the skills they need to thrive.  We expect 1000 people to join us online, with registration opening later this month.

‌The Summit will convene leading global industry experts from partners including the International Labour Organization, the World Bank Group, the United Nations, Junior Achievement, MIT Solve, Circulate Capital, the Global Opportunity Youth Network, European Social Partners, the University of San Francisco, Thinking Ahead on Societal Change, and more. All are operating at the crossroads of employment, entrepreneurship, systems change, policy making, technology, and academia.

The Summit will explore employment pathways for young people in three new economies – the green economy, the care economy and the creative economy.

It will go a step further and empower young people to design innovative solutions or create new opportunities in these new economies, by leveraging technology, knowledge, their own experience and their new networks.

“The Covid pandemic is having a devastating impact on young people’s livelihoods and employment prospects. There is a real risk of a lost generation”, says World YMCA Secretary General Carlos Sanvee.

“The Summit will empower young people with knowledge about how the world of work is changing, the importance of agility, and the SDGs on decent work. It will build young people’s understanding of employment pathways, skills, innovations, and entrepreneurship opportunities in these three, key, emerging economies. It’s a fabulous platform for growth – come and join us!”

Each day of the Summit will be dedicated to one of the three new economies. Through a mixture of live talks, interactive demonstrations, panel discussions and networking, the event will introduce young people to an array of emerging career opportunities in each of the new economies, and explore the role technology is playing as a key enabler of innovation and job growth.

To inspire further thinking and action by young people, we will create a library of unique pre-recorded and curated materials which Summit participants can access before, during and after the Summit.