The real answer to the global employment challenge is to equip students with the capacity to generate their own jobs and create jobs for others.
Rising unemployment is emerging as the single greatest threat to global peace, social stability, democracy, economic development and human security. Increasing the level, quality and relevance of education is the single most effective means for addressing the global employment challenge.
Across the world higher levels of education are associated with higher earnings and lower levels of unemployment.
At the same time, employers report a growing gap between the skills and capacities they require and those possessed by job seekers. With workers changing jobs frequently and the requirements of work changing rapidly, the traditional model of education followed by career must be replaced by education that is continuous and life-long. Moreover, knowledge and technical skills are not sufficient. Employers seek people with effective skills for problem solving, decision making, communication, team work and leadership. A shift is needed from subject or content-oriented education to student or person-oriented education. But the real answer to the global employment challenge is to equip students with the capacity to generate their own jobs and create jobs for others. This requires a fundamental shift in focus from imparting capacities to imparting the knowledge, attitudes and values needed for entrepreneurship and self-employment.
WUC is committed to developing educational content and delivery systems needed for employment and self-employment in the 21st century.
- Employment is essential for human security
- Higher levels and quality of education are the keys to career success
- Closing the skills gap
- Educating the whole person
- Shift from subject-oriented to person-oriented approach
- Continuous and life-long education
- Education to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment