UNESCO's Global Skills Academy
The Global Skills Academy (GSA), together with its private and strategic partners, are on a mission to support ten million youth and adults from around the world in building skills for improved employability and resilience by 2029. Aligned with the 2022-2029 UNESCO Strategy for TVET: Transforming TVET for successful and just transitions, the GSA analyzes skills supply and demand of the fast-evolving labor market, offers free training and mentorship programs, empowers learners with digital, green, and entrepreneurial skills, and support their journeys toward improved employability, life and resilience.
Globally, one out of five individuals aged between 15 and 34 remain disengaged from education, employment, or training. (ILO) That is, 360 million of the world’s 1.8 billion youth population are waiting to be empowered with a brighter future through engagement with quality education, training and employment opportunities.
Moreover, with the rapid technological, economic, and societal transformations taking place worldwide, by 2025, 50% of all employees globally will need to be reskilled to navigate these challenges effectively to fulfill their potential (World’s Economic Forum “Futures of Jobs” Report).
The Global Skills Academy leverages strategic partnerships and mobilizes over 230 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across 150 countries through UNESCO and the UNEVOC Network.
“I need to train in entrepreneurship and digital marketing – this way, I will be able to compete in the job market or start my own business.”
Digital skills
Digital competence receives a growing demand, with more than 75% of companies looking to adopt digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI), and 86% of companies incorporating digital platforms in their digital marketing strategies in the next five years (The Future of Jobs Report 2023).
Access free, certifiable digital literacy and skills training with our partners:
Green skills
Green expertise is hired 1.19x more, and demand for green and sustainability skills has grown by more than 60% since 2016 in economies like sustainable fashion, environmental services and renewable energy. Projection shows demand will outstrip supply in 5 years' time, emphasizing the critical need for green skills development (Global Green Skills Report 2023).
Access free, certifiable green and sustainability skills training with our partners:
- FESTO
- GIZ-atingi
- IBM
- Siemens Stiftung
Entrepreneurial skills
Entrepreneurial and transversal skills can boost careers by developing empathy, agility and readiness to learn, improving communication and project management, identifying opportunities and building leadership.
Access free, certifiable entrepreneurial and transversal skills training with our partners:
- Generation Global
- GIZ-atingi
- Hewlett-Packard
Mentorship programmes
Mentorship programs provide each mentee a unique experience through a dedicated mentor from industry, providing insights and experience about study and personal development, giving guidance in career planning and advancement, opening doors for potential job opportunities.
Enroll in free mentorship programs with our partners:
- DIOR
- KPMG
- Junior Achievement Americas
- Technovation
‘’I'd say that UNESCO is doing a great job in bridging the gap between students and quality education in developing countries. The Global Skills Academy Initiative has also exposed students like me to experience a new way (the digital way) of enjoying quality education.’’
Our working model
Partnerships sit at the heart of the Global Skills Academy’s (GSA) success. The GSA leverages multi-stakeholder partnerships and mobilizes over 230 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across 150 countries through UNESCO and the UNEVOC Network.
The GSA connects:
- Member states
- institutions
- individual learners
to a wide range of training programs offered by UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition partners, extends its reach to leave no one behind in quality training, develops flexible, scalable and inclusive solutions tailored to the local labor market and community
GSA mission in figures
mobilized across the world
“GSA is an amazing platform to unite many training and learning offerings that learners, educational institutions, education systems can choose from. HP is happy and proud to be able to contribute to this platform.”
Partners in this initiative
Aleph Inc. | Anthology Blackboard | Atingi | CISCO | Coursera | Dior | Festo | Fundación Telefónica | Generation Global | HP Foundation | Huawei | IBM | ILO | ITU | Junior Achievement Americas | KPMG | Microsoft | OECD | Orange | OutSystems | Pix | Siemens Stiftung | SkillEd | Technovation | WHO
Ready to make a positive impact?
Partnerships with organisations prepared to offer free training and skills development opportunities in scale are considered on a regular basis. For further discussion contact us via gsa(at)unesco.org.
