In many countries, skills development has a low status among young people, parents and the community in comparison with academic and higher education.  This is a major challenge facing societies and economies and a significant obstacle to employers recruiting young people of the right calibre and so propagates unemployment and underperforming industry. This British Council international seminar attracted employers, policy makers, educational leaders, young people, media representatives and cultural commentators from across the Middle East and North Africa.  They shared their experiences and worked together on identifying constructive approaches to tackling the low status of skills in societies across the world and developing future generations of skilled and employable young people to build successful national industry and a thriving inclusive society, and get the global economy back on track.

Our report and the video below captures the highlights of the event.