Education and the Workforce: Matching skills and needs?

Diplomas, degrees and certificates are being awarded to millions around the globe, but the transition to employment which follows the celebrations is not always so successful.

In economies everywhere the young are being left behind, and statistics prove it.

• In Europe, unemployment among the under-25s is at its highest since the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) began records in 1961 (Education at a Glance 2012: OECD)
• In South Africa – Africa’s richest economy – joblessness among young people is estimated at 50 per cent
• In the USA youth unemployment increased by 836,000 between April and July 2012, compared with an increase of 745,000 in the same period of 2011, according to the latest report by the US Bureau of Statistics

Around the world, employers’ demands upon education are changing significantly, and there is much discussion about how well education is equipping students for the labor market – especially at this time of global financial change. Many argue it is time for a re-examination, and possibly a major overhaul, of education systems.

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The role of education in preparing young people for the world of work will be a key theme at the fourth World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar, on November 13-15, 2012. WISE is dedicated to building the future of education through innovation. This global collaborative initiative was inaugurated in 2009 by Qatar Foundation under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. Its mission is to address the challenges facing 21st-century education, to expand dialogue around the world and to implement practical and sustainable solutions.

A second WISE book will be launched at WISE 2012. Learning a Living: Radical Innovation in Education for Work explores the relationship between education, innovation, work and the workforce. It examines the skills gap and highlights 15 case studies from diverse societies and economies which are finding new ways to bridge it.

More than 1,000 innovators from over 100 countries, including educational thinkers and practitioners, representatives of governments and NGOs, business leaders and social entrepreneurs, will discuss new ideas and practices at WISE 2012.

For further details about WISE and the 2012 Summit, please visit: www.wise-qatar.org.