What does it take for young people to thrive in a fast-changing world?

Young people increasingly face uncertainty and worry when imagining their futures. As one university student from Kosovo shared during a blog competition: “Being a young adult in this century keeps getting more and more difficult with every year. Finding a job you like and that will also support you enough to have an enjoyable life is immensely difficult and thus it can be nerve-racking.”

Indeed, the transition from school to work remains a significant challenge: One in five youth are not in employment, education or training, and more than half of young workers are in informal employment. Given rapid changes in the labor market and beyond, how can countries prepare young people to succeed in work and life?

A fast-changing world

Young people today are growing up in a very different world than their parents, characterized by the omnipresence of technology, a transforming media landscape, and the pressing challenges of climate change.

While change is normal, the pace of change is unprecedented. Seventy percent of executives across the globe, including in countries such as India and Brazil, say the pace of change at work is speeding up. Technological innovation is moving faster than ever, leading to workplace transformations and the rapid depreciation of job-specific skills. At the same time, young people face declining job stability, increasingly widespread temporary and part-time employment, and the rise of gig work.

Caught between hopes and fears

When change happens fast and affects multiple dimensions of life, it can be difficult to cope. LinkedIn data from advanced and emerging economies suggests that 64% of professionals are overwhelmed by how quickly their jobs are changing. Similarly, global survey data from 145 countries shows that the share of employees who report significant stress and worry has increased over the past two decades.

Many youth today worry about job loss and stability. Rising social media use has been linked to increases in youth mental health problems, and climate anxiety is widespread. Due to this combination of pressures, youth happiness is in decline in many regions.  

Despite these challenges, many young people remain hopeful. Youth are more likely than older generations to believe the world is becoming a better place. They are also more optimistic about the future of work, including the impact of AI on learning and their careers. Similarly, World Bank analysis of several Sub-Saharan countries suggests high aspirations among youth.

Towards a three-part toolkit of skills

So, what can we do to help young people navigate this fast-changing world? Young people know the answer: Their top priority is getting future-proof education and skills. To prepare youth for many different paths through work and life, governments should invest in a strong toolkit of skills as part of their broader efforts to strengthen human capital for jobs and prosperity. This toolkit must include:

1.       Robust social and emotional skills

Employers across the globe are sending a clear message: Social, emotional, and behavioral skills have become the most important skills in the workplace. A World Bank review of 27 studies globally found that more than 50% of the top five skills identified by employers can be classified as socio-emotional skills. These skills are also critical for self-employment and entrepreneurship, and they are important predictors of other life outcomes, including health. Governments can nurture young people’s social and emotional skills through schools and extra-curricular activities.

2.       Digital literacy

Discussions about digital skills often focus on programming and other advanced digital skills for ICT jobs - but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. While these skills are valuable, all young people need basic digital literacy, or the ability to use basic digital devices such as phones and computers to access information and services online.

Indeed, the real digital revolution is happening outside of ICT occupations. Technology is changing most jobs, including occupations such as nursing and construction. A World Bank analysis in Southeast Asia found that virtually all occupations require some basic or intermediate digital skills. The same pattern holds in other regions and in the informal sector, where farmers, retailers, and other small enterprises increasingly use online marketplaces and social media platforms. Moreover, basic digital skills are not just important for the workplace itself but also for online learning and finding a job.

However, young people do not automatically grow up digitally fluent. Existing data suggest that many youth in developing countries cannot use the most basic digital technology, and even fewer possess intermediate digital skills needed for a wide range of jobs. Therefore, governments must deepen efforts to foster digital literacy for this increasingly digital world. 

3.       Strong foundations in literacy and numeracy

As employer demand for skills changes rapidly, young people still need a strong foundation of basic literacy and numeracy that form the basis for all other learning.

Unfortunately, there remains a lot of work to do. In most middle-income countries that participated in the Program for International Student Assessment in 2022, over 50 percent of 15-year-old students failed to achieve minimum proficiency in mathematics and reading. Governments must respond by continuing to invest in quality primary and secondary education.

Equipped with these transferable skills, young people can take advantage of new ways to learn, navigate dynamic careers, and become socially and environmentally conscious leaders. Let’s equip young people with the tools they need so that their hopes and dreams for a better future become reality.

This blog is a follow-up to the 2024 Annual Meetings, where the World Bank brought together ministers from the World Bank’s Human Capital Network and other influential voices from the private sector, academia, and civil society for its Human Capital Conclave on “Equipping Young Women and Men for a Fast-Changing World.”

It is the first blog in a series highlighting the investments in critical skills needed to help young people thrive in an increasingly complex world.

We are grateful to Sarah Eleuterio Comer and Daisy Demirag for their insightful feedback and valuable comments on this blog.

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