newsletter 1 January 2014 Dear all, May 2013 has seen the launch of the Decent Work for Youth platform (DW4Y) as a unique online meeting point to discuss youth employment issues. The platform gathers young people from diverse backgrounds and aims to strengthen knowledge on decent work issues, as well as support young advocates. We closed this last year with an assessment period allowing the DW4Y Team to improve the platform based on the comments of our users. In 2014, we wish that our users further engage in online debates moderated by young people working on youth employment, share their experiences and ideas of good employment practice, and learn more about decent work. The topics previously discussed on the platform were internships, migration, the job crisis, youth in informality and youth labour rights. The first topic of 2014 will be youth entrepreneurship. Additionally, this year, the platform will witness the arrival of new elements such as learning modules based on previous discussion topics and a new team of Catalysts to further stimulate discussions with their fresh ideas and experiences.
Ha pp y re ad ing ! Be st , Th e DW 4Y Te am
Internships The purpose of an internship and the legislation around it varies widely around the world. The rise in youth unemployment and employment precariousness has recently made many stakeholders focus their attention on the strong role that internships may play in ensuring an effective school-to-work transition. Participants debated whether we can find a way to make internships a worthwhile practice for the benefit of young people or not.
Youth in informality Informality manifests itself in different ways according to different countries’ contexts and labour market characteristics. During the debates, participants were invited to share their experiences, opinions and understanding of informal employment at the global and local level and its perceived negative and potential positive impact on young workers. They also questioned the possibility of a transition from informal to formal employment. Background note
Background note
The job crisis There are currently more than 73 million young people who are unemployed. The global youth employment crisis threatens young people’s future hopes and prospects of creating a future filling them and their families with pride. On the online discussion the participants made their voices heard on how the job crisis affects them specifically, which challenges they see as a priorities and what kind of actions they are involved in to address the youth employment crisis.
Prezi visual presentation
Migration
Labour rights is a broad issue which can be broken down to the protection and respect of human life in the workplace and the right to work itself. Participants had the opportunity to learn and share opinions about the International Labour Standards and Fundamental Rights at work, which lead them to the important role young people must play at the work place in order to act in collaboration toward implemented youth labour rights.
Within the framework of the 2013’s International Youth Day (IYD) on “Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward”, the DW4Y online discussions’ participants identified the motivations driving young workers to migrate, highlighting their diverse expectations. The link between migration and decent work led the participants to talk about the common integration obstacles faced by young migrants and introduced a debate on labour rights. An important part of the exchanges touched the threat of the brain drain phenomenon for countries of origin as well as the rewards they could expect from young migrants, and the gains and challenges for destination countries.
Background note
Background note
Youth labour rights
Other resources of interest Access to productive and decent work is the best way young people can realize their aspirations, improve their living conditions and actively participate in society. The ILO Youth Employment Programme is in constant development of tools and resources to help young people access decent work. ILO-TV Surfing the labour market: Job search skills for young people Biz-up: Self-employment skills for young people User’s guide Facilitators guide and tool kit Work4Youth Newsletter
After 6 months of fruitful exchanges, the platform opened a satisfaction survey in order to base its future improvement on the ideas and opinions of the young participants. Take part in the DW4Y survey and let us know how you would like to see this platform evolve
Satisfaction Survey
Access the survey here
Are you interested in facilitating the online discussions in 2014 with the Global Working Group on Decent Work for Youth?
Congratulations Laura Garciandia
Winner of the 2013 Youth employment video contest on youth employment and migration “Reaping the benefits, maximizing the risks”, Laura exposes the situation that thousands of young migrants endure in their path to crossing the North American border. The “Ayúdalos a llegar (Help them get there)” project raises awareness on how society can get involved in helping alleviate the migrants’ immediate needs in their search for new job opportunities.
The DW4Y platform hosts a group of young facilitators, called The Catalysts. Established as the Global Online Working Group for Decent Work for Youth, they spark discussions, dialogue, and reflection during six month periods. This worldwide network of young leaders and activists is meant to stimulate debates; they are special interlocutors for the participants of the discussion, they take part in the orientation of the background documents, and they also replicate the information to their local and global networks. To join the “Catalysts”, contact info@decentwork4youth.org
2014
The ILO DW4Y team wishes you a happy and successful
UPCOMING EVENTS January 22nd:
“Entrepreneurship” Launch of the 1st 2014’s DW4Y online discussion topic
February 20th:
World Day of Social Justice Stay tuned for more news!
August 12th:
International Youth Day
Find out more events
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youth@ilo.org
To know more visit
http://decentwork4youth.org