Western Europe

IFC and the World Economic Forum are sponsoring an international essay competition designed to identify potential solutions to the global youth unemployment crisis. 

The Global Shapers, a World Economic Forum community of young people under 30 who are exceptional emerging leaders, will present their ideas in the competition, The Youth Jobs Innovation Challenge. The competition, sponsored by IFC and the Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Youth Unemployment, requires participants to address the question: “What Can I and the Global Community do to Create Jobs for my Generation?” Submissions must be original and actionable. Internationally recognized experts from the private sector, government, and academia will serve as judges. 

The Youth Jobs Innovation Challenge fits into the theme of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2012: The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models. One of the four pillars of the meeting is to bring new models and bold ideas to the world stage on the issues of growth and employment. The competition was launched on December 21, 2011 and will run until February 19, 2012.   

IFC Executive Vice President and CEO Lars Thunell said, “The mismatch between education and the needs of the labor market is limiting the ability of young people to develop relevant skills and build careers. Private sector leaders must work together with government officials, international agencies, civil society organizations, and youth not only to improve training opportunities for youth, but also to support job creation in the broader economy for everyone. ” 

For more information, read the related press release.

For more on IFC and its work in facilitating job creation visit: www.ifc.org/jobcreation.