The First World Youth Skills Day Forum was held on 15 July 2025 at the School for Advanced Studies of the “La Sapienza” University of Rome, on the occasion of the UN International Day for Youth Skills, under the title “Training for Research and Sustainable Innovation. Young people at the forefront of skills for a fairer and more resilient future”.
The meeting, organised by the Network of Italian UNESCO Chairs, AIGU and Confindustria, and aimed at celebrating the importance of youth skills and raising awareness in the world of work about recruiting young talent to build a more inclusive, just and peaceful society, was a valuable opportunity to learn about the work of the doctoral students and researchers of the Italian UNESCO Chairs and of the young researchers among AIGU volunteers. These are young people who have developed exceptional professional skills in some of the fields most crucial to our times, such as the ethical use of artificial intelligence, the protection of cultural heritage from climate change and the environmental crisis, and the inclusion of migrants in civil society, all themes of central importance to UNESCO.
The Conference speakers, coming from the worlds of academia, business and UNESCO, all expressed their support for the work of these young professionals and their colleagues, presenting the programmes outlined by their organisations to encourage the absorption of their workforce into their respective fields.
The Conference featured a speech by Prof. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, who underlined the importance of UNESCO programmes aimed at training young people around the world to acquire the professional skills essential for our times, such as the Global Skills Academy.
