Digital Skills: The passport to careers of the future, according to youth

Today, we’re celebrating the United Nations' International Youth Day, which happens every year on August 12th. It’s a day to spotlight youth issues globally and celebrate the awesome potential of young people.

#MeetandCode #DigitalSkills4All #EmpoweringYouth
12.08.2024

This year’s theme, From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development, has us buzzing with excitement! It’s all about how digitalization is reshaping our world and opening up incredible opportunities to make it a better place. Think mobile devices, innovative services, and AI—all playing a crucial role in hitting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Plus, all the data from our digital lives is helping us make smarter decisions that benefit everyone economically, socially, and environmentally.

But there's still work to be done. In low-income countries and among young women, access to the internet and digital skills is still a challenge. Yet, youth are recognized as “digital natives,” using technology to drive change and create innovative solutions. With the 2030 SDG deadline on the horizon, young people's role in digital innovation is key to solving global challenges. This is why we want to provide #DigitalSkills4All with a focus on young people from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds.

Empowering youth through digital skills

It's safe to say that at Meet and Code, we’re all about empowering youth. We do this by supporting non-profit organizations (NPOs) with €500 micro-grants to host digital skills workshops and events across 13 countries for kids and teens aged 8-24.

In honor of International Youth Day, some participants from the Toy Teardowns and Hebocons events, hosted by the Leeds Library in Leeds and Barnsley (UK), shared why digital skills are so important and why other young people should dive into the digital world:

Adam Buckley: “You should start learning digital skills as it is good for future employment. You can learn game development and create games for people to play which is important because one day, gaming and technology will be at the center of everything and if you aren’t caught up, you’ll be left behind.”

Rowan Leonard: “Digital skills are crucial because many jobs need them. Moving forward, there’ll be lots of things that you need digital skills for, so it’s going to be really useful to know your way around technology.”

Leon Morris: “I like digital skills because technology is not only used for entertainment, but it’s also used for work. It can help people with their jobs or give them something to do when they’re bored. It’s both entertaining and fascinating at the same time.”

As all of the young people highlighted how important digital skills are for employment, here are some in-demand digital skills that can open doors to exciting career opportunities:

Coding and programming: Languages like Python, JavaScript, and Java are highly sought after.

Data analysis and visualization: Skills in tools like Python, R, and SQL are essential for extracting insights from data.

Digital marketing: Understanding SEO, social media marketing, and content creation can lead to successful careers in the digital marketing industry.

Cybersecurity: With the increasing threat of cyberattacks, cybersecurity experts are in high demand.

UI/UX design: Creating user-friendly digital experiences is a valuable skill for web and app development.

Building a brighter digital future for all

If you are from an NPO and would like to play your part in teaching digital skills to young people, click here to find your country page and submit your event ideas to stand a chance of securing funding for your workshop. For some ideas have a look at our Inspiration Library.  
What’s more, if you’ve successfully completed a Meet and Code workshop, you can submit your event for the Meet and Code Awards between October 1st and November 10th, 2024. The top three events (one in each of the following categories) will win €3,000.

This year's awards focus is on three categories aligned with the UN SDGs:

Girls do IT!: Promotes gender equality by encouraging girls' interest in coding.

Diversity: Seeks innovative events that empower under-represented communities in digital education.

Code for the Planet: Combines coding with environmental action to tackle climate change.

Learn more about the Awards here.

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Together, we can empower young people to shape a brighter digital future.