Through my assignment, I have learned a lot, both professionally and personally. I have gained knowledge and experience by working in a field in which I was not an expert. Doing that in a foreign country helped me understand the daily issues that people are facing here and the different ways of managing conflicts, which are all very diverse from a Swedish context - Oskar Tinnerholm, UN Youth Volunteer in Conflict Resolution with UNDP Guatemala.

​​​​Today’s youth are the most educated generation ever - with more than 92.58% of young men and 88.61 % of young women literate. However, youth still face difficulties in entering and remaining in the labour market - young people being three times more likely to be unemployed than adults. Volunteering can be one of the solutions to address youth employability challenges. Reports show that volunteering can improve chances at a job by enhancing a person’s vocational and social skills.

Young people gain professional, technical, and soft skills (creativity, leadership, critical thinking) that are crucial for employability through their volunteering activities. Contacts arise through social networks that people form through volunteering and these can lead to securing useful references and even finding a job. The 2019 ILO report on Work for a Brighter Future states that lifelong learning, that includes social and cognitive skills, offers a pathway to inclusion of labour market for youth and the unemployed.

Linking volunteerism to the national, regional and global development discourse to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can help to tackle youth unemployment through enhancing human and social capital. Governments must develop policies and schemes for youth volunteering as volunteering provides the transition of youth from education to employment through soft skills, mentoring relationships, employment training and access to labour force. SDG 8 session at ECOSOC Youth Forum 8-9 April 2019