Youth & Education

​“An urgent and comprehensive response to tackling youth unemployment during COVID-19 must be a crucial aspect of countries’ economic recovery strategies. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the foundations of our global economy, prepare youth to thrive in the future of work, generate new widespread prosperity and lay the groundwork for a safer, cleaner, greener and more equitable world. Investing in and re-skilling people now can help us get them back to work immediately while building more just, inclusive and resilient economies.”​

- World Economic Forum, 2020

WEI is committed to working on the issues of youth economic empowerment by advocating for policy change and implementation, building skills and capacities for vulnerable youth populations, particularly in vulnerable populations and migrant communities, and engaging in discussions about adverse norms and practices that negatively impact youth, the disabled. 

​Our strategic areas of focus include:​

  • ​Education and skills. Investing in young people to help tackle skills shortages could provide a future-proofed way to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19​
  • Entrepreneurship. Enhancing econ-systems and building pipelines of growth-oriented social and traditional youth entrepreneurs​
  • Youth disability and mental health. 1.3 billion people across the world live with some form of disability. This is the largest minority globally (roughly 17% of the world’s population). According to WEF, “Mental illness is the number one threat to the health, wellbeing and productivity of young people, with 75% of mental disorders having an onset before the age of 25. …. This has substantial consequences for individuals, their families and communities, as well as local, national and global economies.”​