World Youth Skills Day 2020

Every year 15 July is observed as the World Youth Skills Day (WYSD). The United Nations General Assembly approved the celebration of this day in 2014. With the arrival of Founding Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, in October 2019, the National Skills University Islamabad celebrated the first WYSD 2020 at the National and International levels. Since then, the NSU, the first federal public sector university in skills education, has continuously observed this day.

The primary reason of observing this day is to create awareness, celebrate ongoing successes, and highlight the ever-increasing strategic importance of providing youth with necessary skills aligning with contemporary technological advancements. Moreover, the skills not degree mantra demands readiness of educational institutions towards equipping youth with workplace skills and inculcating professional work ethics, the most critical characteristics sought by employers. This day also highlights the importance of preparing youth with entrepreneurial skills to be job providers rather than job seekers.

As enshrined in the spirit of celebrating WYSD, according to the UN General Assembly, the celebration of this day allows dialogues between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, firms, employers’ and workforce organizations, policy makers, and development partners. This day highlights the ever-increasing significance of skills education as the world is embarking on a transition towards a sustainable development model.

As a member of the UNESCO/UNEVOC, the National Skills University Islamabad takes pride in leading the entire Pakistani youth towards observing WYSD2022.