Earlier this year, we marvelled as billionaire entrepreneurs Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos reached for the stars through trial launches of rockets developed by Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. In many ways, their race represents popular perceptions of entrepreneurship – the expression of a drive that is ambitious, competitive, innovative, and…. male.
It needn’t be that way.
By working together – as civil society, governments and businesses – we can help young people face the challenges of work, gender equality, the green transition, and the future of business; and empower them to create and seize new opportunities.
C’est en mobilisant les acteurs et les talents de la société civile, aux côtés et en complémentarité des gouvernements et des collectivités publiques, que nous pourrons relever ensemble ces formidables défis que représentent aujourd’hui l’emploi et l’émancipation des jeunes, l’égalité femme-hommes, la transition écologique ou encore l’avenir de l’entreprise.
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of young people everywhere. Many of the worst consequences of the pandemic – school closures, fewer employment opportunities, low wages – have forced our youth to alter their personal, professional, and educational plans. If left unaddressed, these sacrifices will reverberate for years to come and leave an entire generation – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – with bleak futures.
Integrating young people into the labour market is critical for the dynamism of our economies as well as the health of our businesses and society at large. Unfortunately, the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have been devastating for the young generation, disrupting their education, limiting their employment opportunities and creating mental health issues.
While the pandemic’s health impacts have fallen mainly on older generations, in many countries it is the young who have proved most vulnerable to its economic impacts. For the young, this has become a crisis not just of health but of opportunity. For more than a year, they have seen job prospects dry up and their learning interrupted.
