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Goal 8, from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focuses on access to decent work and economic growth for individuals and nations. One of the targets of this goal is to provide young adults with better access to employment, education and training. More specifically, it looks to substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.Let's start by defining the difference between employment, education and training.&nbsp;Employment: can be defined as the relationship between two parties, usually based on a contract where the employer pays for work completed by the employee. Access to employment can be important for young people to attain financial security, independence, wellbeing, a sense of belonging and achievement, and skill development.According to the U.S Department of Labor and The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), an individual must be at least 14 years old as the minimum age for employment. However, 14-year-old individuals are still considered minors and can only work a limited number of hours. Also, the FLSA prohibits the employment of a minor in any work declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor (for example, work involving excavation, driving, and the operation of many types of power-driven equipment. Each state also has its laws relating to employment, including the employment of minors. Likewise, each country has their own set of rules and regulations regarding the employment of a minor.&nbsp;In general, minors are not expected to work.&nbsp;For more information about federal and state labor laws that apply to young workers, visit <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules">https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules.&nbsp;</a>Education is one with which you are probably more familiar. Every child has the right to go to school and learn in a safe environment. However, sometimes due to poverty and marginalization, children do not have access to school and education. As a result, today, more than 72 million children around the world remain unschooled. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected area, with over 32 million children of primary school age remaining uneducated.&nbsp;In certain countries, such as Somalia and Burkina Faso, more than 50% of children receive education for less than 2 years. The problem with this is that the lack of schooling and poor education can negatively affect a country's population. In addition, when children leave school without learning at least primary education, the chances for further development and job security decrease.&nbsp;Education is essential for every child.Training can sometimes be mixed in with education. Training is when we learn with greater detail how to complete a task. Training can have more specific goals and teaches you the skills you need for a particular job or activity. For example, carpenters, mechanics, and other labor-intense manual work requires training. Without adequate training, it becomes harder to complete these jobs. It can also be dangerous not to know how to use equipment or not understand the techniques involved in finishing the task at hand.&nbsp;Youth unemployment is a worldwide crisis, mostly because of overpopulation, limited job availability, and limited resources.More youths are returning home to live with their parents than ever before. More are finding themselves in a competitive job market for which they have no skills or too little experience.&nbsp;<h1>Youth Unemployment Through Entrepreneurship</h1>When we talk about youth unemployment, we are not necessarily talking about the 14-16-year-olds. However, youth employment affects many over 18-year-olds who have not continued education - that means they haven't gone to university or college.&nbsp;Going to college or university is not for everyone. For some, starting their own business at an early age can have many advantages. No doubt, starting a business can be challenging and often full of risks. However, nowadays, a few things that can help:<ul><li>Finance your business idea via crowd-funding, venture capitalists, social enterprises and startup accelerators. Venture capitalists can provide contacts, experience, and opportunities for youths to learn valued skills. Social enterprises are businesses that trade to intentionally tackle social problems, improve communities, provide people access to employment and training, or help the environment. Do you have a business idea that falls into this category? Read more about Social Enterprises in our previous article <a href="https://contest.diproinduca.com/blog/understanding-poverty-and-social-enterprises?redirect_to=%2Fblog%3Flimit%3D9%26offset%3D9%23understanding-poverty-and-social-enterprises">Understanding Poverty &amp; Social Enterprises.</a></li><li>Find a mentor, someone who can help you understand what you need and the processes and risks involved. Ask your parents or teachers.&nbsp;</li><li>Volunteer with non-profit organizations, this can help you connect with people and understand what is needed in your community.&nbsp;</li><li>Start small by starting a new group or club at school. This can help you connect with people, understand their needs and opinions, and reinforce your leadership skills.</li></ul>

Goal 8, from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focuses on access to decent work and economic growth for individuals and nations.

Growing Tomorrow's Workforce

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Thinking Cap OnThink of a "gap in the market" in your local community. Something that needs a product or service that doesn't exist yet, or a product or service you can improve. For example, dog walking, car washing, logo making, food bank, anything that can help people improve their lives.After you have defined what product or service you can provide, conduct your own market research.&nbsp;<ul><li>Who needs the product or service&nbsp;</li><li>Why do they need the product or service</li><li>How often they need the product or service</li><li>What do you need to provide it, and how much will it cost you</li><li>Is anyone else providing that product or service in the area - competitor&nbsp;</li></ul>Then think about your branding and where would you start your business. Think of a name and a logo. Can you be an entrepreneur? Ask your family to mentor you and discuss your idea with them.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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Around the world, different people do different types of jobs. Some people work as farmers bringing food to our communities, and some work as teachers in our schools. Some other people work in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), creating vaccines and sending rockets to space. Each job has a set of tasks and skills which you can learn and develop as you grow up.&nbsp;However, opportunities are not equal around the world. In some countries, access to decent and sustainable jobs is not available to everyone. Because of this, the UN has decided one of its goals is to create economic growth around the world, creating jobs for all, driving progress and improving living standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>What Does "Decent Work" Mean?</h1>Decent work means equal opportunities for everyone to get a productive job, with a fair wage and a good working environment.&nbsp;For example:&nbsp;<ul><li>a fair wage that is enough to pay for living expenses</li><li>a good working environment with access to facilities such as toilets and drinking water</li><li>a place where you feel welcomed and safe&nbsp;</li></ul> &nbsp;Thinking Cap On:&nbsp;Imagine you are at school, and only one team can access the school gym to practice basketball. This team gets to practice their skills daily, while the other teams don't even use the gym. If the two teams were to challenge each other in a tournament, which group will be better prepared? Who has a better chance to win? Is it fair?&nbsp;What would you do to make it equal and fair for both teams?&nbsp;<h1>Boys or Girls, Does it Matter at Work?</h1>Unfairness also happens when two people who do the same job get paid less based on their gender rather than their skills.&nbsp;According to the UN, <a href="https://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/ruralwomen/facts-figures.html">Men earn 12.5per cent more</a> than women in 40 out of 45 countries with data. The global "gender pay gap", or difference between earned wages between men and women, stands at <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_650553.pdf">23 per cent globally</a>. Without decisive positive action, it will take another 68 years to achieve equal pay.&nbsp;This gender pay gap varies by country and even by company. The good news is more and more companies are now closing the gap, as your gender shouldn't matter when it comes to a job. Jobs and wages should only depend on your skills and your capacity to complete the work successfully. However, despite their increasing presence in public life, <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_633135.pdf">women continue to do 2.6 times</a> the unpaid care and domestic work that men do.What is it like for you at home? Do you help with chores around the house? Does your gender determine the kind of house chores/work you do? If so, why do you think this is, and what can you do to change that?&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Why Do Some People Have Better Jobs Than Others?&nbsp;</h1>One of the UN objectives for goal 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, is to substantially reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training.&nbsp;This matters because access to education or training is often linked to the job opportunities you can get out there in the job market. Many jobs are skill-based, which means they require you to know how to do things a certain way. However, when people can't access education or training for these jobs, it becomes harder for them to work. Think again about the "Thinking Cap On" exercise. Lack of training leads to unfair conditions.&nbsp;In some countries, and even in some cities in the United States, access to education and training is limited. The lack of unavailable funding to provide good education and a history of economic underdevelopment of the area can lead to disadvantages and unemployment.&nbsp;According to the International Labor Organization, in 2018, the global working age-population, comprising women and men aged 15 years or older, was 5.7 billion. Out of these, 3.3 billion people, or 58.4 percent, were in employment, and 172 million were unemployed.&nbsp;These figures only tell us we need to do better globally to ensure everyone has access to sustainable and stable work. Paid work is a crucial driver of material well-being, economic security, equality of opportunity and human development. However, we still have a long way to go before reaching these conditions worldwide.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Decent work means equal opportunities for everyone to get a productive job, with a fair wage and a good working environment.

Boys or Girls, Does it Matter at Work?

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Thinking Cap On:&nbsp;Speak to your parents or adult siblings and family to understand the barriers they had when entering the job market. Was it easy to find a job? Did they have the training or access to training needed? What kind of skills did they need for their job? &nbsp;Think about what kind of work would like to do when the time comes, and build a Swot Analysis. SWOT Analysis is a tool to determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that are to be expected in a project. Divide a page into 4 squares and consider what you do well (strengths) where you need to improve (weaknesses). These two are internal and unique to you. Use the other two squares to write what your goals are (opportunities) and what obstacles you face (threats). These two are external and unique to the city or country you are in.&nbsp; Share with your parents for guidance and start a conversation about your future work and economic growth and development.