Is Covid-19 the dead end for youth?

Saturday, February 20, 2021

For instance, unemployment in young people has skyrocketed to levels comparable to the great recession in 2006. This requires an urgent solution by all people from every sector. As a young person suffering from unemployment, one of the things we can do is to equip ourselves with skills and qualities that can boost our chances of being employed. As our day to day life has been limited by the ongoing lockdown, this is definitely not an easy task.

AIESEC, an organization by the youth for the youth.

AIESEC is the largest youth run organization in the world. Currently AIESEC has 16 different local committees in the top universities in the UK which includes University College London (UCL), Imperial College London, University of Manchester, and University of Edinburgh. AIESEC believes that one of the key solutions to the world issues is by developing leadership in youth. This can be achieved by facilitating exchanges around the world for internship or volunteering projects that are aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nation. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, AIESEC has been looking for alternative ways to develop leadership in youth. One of the initiatives would be virtual conferences for the youth to have meaningful conversations with the established leaders in the UK.

Youth Speak Forum, the resurgence of an important conversation.

In the year 2015, AIESEC UK had organized a YouthSpeak Forum that is open to the general public. The 2015 Youth Speak Forum had a delegate group of more than 540 youth assembled to generate discussions with the established leaders and translate it into actions to overcome the social issues faced by the youth in the UK. We think now is the right time to bring it back. YouthSpeak Forum 2021’s main focus is on SDG #8, Decent Work and Economic Growth. Our aim with this focus is to bring the young people one step closer to truly understanding what it is that businesses are looking for and how to be innovative in their desired fields while helping them meet people who share their sentiments.

In response to the pandemic, AIESEC UK is taking the initiative to provide a platform for the youth and our speakers to talk about the post-pandemic economy. On 27th of March, we will be having Nadine Whittome MP (Youngest MP in the UK) and Larissa Kennedy (President of NUS)  to share with us their take on the post-pandemic economy. At the same time, they will address what can be done by the youth in this seemingly hopeless situation. The aim is to establish a connection between the two levels of the working environment, create discussion and then translate it into actions. The action of one person might not be effective, but with the combined strength of the entire youth in the UK, I believe we will be able to overcome this hardship.

Conferences can be the beginning of a journey towards something bigger, sometimes even to places unimaginable. For Shania, it’s the beginning of her growth as a youth in this competitive world.

Shania, the 20.21 term Local Committee President of AIESEC in Bristol 

“At my very first aiesec conference, I was nervous, unsure and pretty confused at what was happening. Everyone there seemingly knew each other and were so excited to be there whereas I was initially not very willing to even attend the conference, by being there was a last minute decision. But despite all of this, I believe I left this conference knowing that this would be my first step on whatever journey AIESEC had planned for me. Every conference I had attended after continued to solidify the presence that AIESEC would have in life but also the platform and skills it would provide me with for the past two years of my life. And though I may have been a bit unwilling at my first conference as I wasn’t always sure what was happening, the experience I had there is one that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. It’s an experience that I believe needs to be shared at that’s what we want to do with YouthSpeak Forum. We want to help others experience the connectedness and joy of sitting in the same room as over 200 people who believe in the same causes and issues. We want to give people the chance to meet like-minded people, learn new skills and make professional and personal connections that’ll change their whole perception of the world. ”

AIESEC had made the first move towards a more sustainable future, now it’s your turn to join them. Take the first step now! Find out more about YouthSpeak Forum 2021 on instagram @youthspeakuk or the official website www.youthspeakuk.com