By Precious Chukwudi
As a young person in a developing country struggling to find work. Opportunities seem scarce and the future is uncertain. But what if there was a way to gain skills that could open up new doors? UNICEF’s Yoma initiative is doing just that. Through Yoma, young people can now access courses to build skills that can shape their destinies.
Over 100,000 youth have already enrolled in Yoma’s programs, learning skills that translate into real work opportunities. With the gig economy on the rise, these kinds of flexible skills are in high demand. With a smartphone and an internet connection, you have everything you need to start learning for free.
Mrs. Blessing Ejiofor, a Communication Specialist at UNICEF, said that digital learning platforms like YOMA can help young people find great opportunities.
Also, Joannes Yimbesalu, a Programme Specialist at UNICEF, mentioned that YOMA initiative is a digital marketplace that enables young people worldwide to build their future by participating in social impact tasks, upskilling, and finding new opportunities.
For young people around the world, the future is unwritten. But with the right skills and opportunities, you can begin to shape your own story. YOMA is helping to make that possible with programs that give youth a chance to skill up, open doors, and transform what comes next. The future is yours to create.
With hard work and persistence, young people everywhere can now access the education and training they need to pursue their dreams. The rise of digital learning has been an incredible gift, one that will shape lives and societies for generations to come. Overall, online course platforms are helping to close opportunity gaps and build a brighter future for youth around the world.
How Digital Skills Training Is Empowering Youth
Through digital skills training, UNICEF Yoma is empowering youth with opportunities to transform their futures. Young people are learning valuable skills that open doors to new jobs and income.
With mobile phones and internet access, youth can learn anytime and anywhere at their own pace. They get hands-on experience and build portfolios to show employers.
For youth in remote areas, digital skills open up opportunities that didn’t exist before. “There are many jobs I can do online that allow me to stay in my village with my family,” says May, 24, who earns an income as a virtual assistant.
By providing youth the chance to gain in-demand skills, UNICEF Yoma is helping transform mindsets and open up a world of new possibilities. With hard work and perseverance, youth who never thought they’d get the chance to pursue a career can now achieve their dreams. Digital skills are the key to unlocking their potential and creating a generation of independent, empowered youth.
Stories of Success: Meet the Youth Beneficiaries
Meet Aisha
Aisha was struggling to find work after graduating with a degree in IT. She didn’t have the skills or experience that companies were looking for. Then Aisha discovered Yoma and enrolled in their digital marketing course. “The course gave me the skills I needed to land an internship at a tech startup. Now I have a full-time job as a digital marketing associate,” says Aisha.
Samson, 21, Learns to Code
Samson, a 21-year-old from Ibadan, dreamed of working as a software engineer. But his family couldn’t pay for his university degree. Samson started learning to code for free on UNICEF’s Yoma platform, completing courses in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
“I worked hard, spending hours practicing and building my own web pages. The interactive courses kept me motivated,” says Samson. His new skills landed him an internship at a tech startup, where he’s gaining valuable on-the-job experience. Samson hopes to get hired full-time after his internship.
New Hope Through New Skills
Stories like Aisha’s and Samson’s highlight how UNICEF’s Yoma initiative is creating pathways to opportunity for youth in Nigeria. By providing access to in-demand skills and work experience, Yoma opens doors to jobs and income for youth who face barriers to higher education and employment.
For Aisha, Samson, and many other youths, Yoma has been life-changing. “Now I can support myself and my family,” says Aisha. “I feel hopeful about my future for the first time.”
Samson agrees. “Yoma gave me a chance to pursue my dreams. I’m on my way to becoming a software engineer!”
UNICEF’s Yoma initiative is transforming futures by empowering youth with the skills to succeed in today’s digital world. For youth in Nigeria, that means new hope and new opportunities.
The Future Is Digital: Preparing Youth for Jobs That Don’t Yet Exist
The future of work is digital, and that means jobs are rapidly evolving. Many of the careers today’s youth will have don’t even exist yet. To prepare them for this uncertain future, UNICEF’s Yoma initiative is helping youth build skills that will be useful no matter what the job market looks like in 10 or 20 years.
Learn Technical and Soft Skills
Through Yoma, youth can access online courses to build both technical and soft skills. Technical skills like coding, digital marketing, and data analysis will be crucial for many future jobs. Soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving are also important, as technology continues to transform how we work. By developing a mix of technical know-how and soft skills, youth will be ready to adapt to whatever jobs emerge.
Gain Experience
Real-world experience is one of the best ways for youth to prepare for future careers. Through Yoma, youth can find paid internships, apprenticeships, and work opportunities to start building experience, sometimes even before finishing their education. By the time they enter the job market, they’ll have the skills and experience that set them apart.
The future of work may be unclear, but with the right skills and experience, today’s youth can shape jobs that don’t yet exist into careers that thrive. Yoma is empowering youth to take control of their futures in the digital age.
So there you have it. With digital learning platforms like UNICEF Yoma, the future is looking bright for youth in developing countries. Access to digital learning means access to opportunity. A chance to gain skills, find work, and transform lives. While the challenges are many, the potential is greater. Young people just need a chance, and with the support of initiatives focused on skilling up youth, the future workforce will be ready to thrive in the digital age. For youth, the time for opportunity is now. The chance to skill up is here. The future is theirs to shape.