Hey, you're future-ready

At this minute, there are over 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world. This is by far the largest youth population ever recorded in history.

Around 62 percent of Bangladesh is youth -- the greatest human resource for attaining economic development of a country. Bangladesh is brimming with the massive uncontained energy of youths that will diminish if we do not take quick actions.

According to findings of World Bank in 2017, youth unemployment rate has increased to 11.4 percent -- a 0.4 percent increase from the previous year. This is a steady increase in unemployment since 2010.  More than 50 percent of students are facing the common problem of having a future-ready job. Youths complain of not getting a job, yet the recruiter is frustrated with not finding the right person for the vacancy.

The accessibility of jobs was previously a problem. Thankfully, with the advent and increased availability of the internet, more and more youths can avail the opportunities out there. In fact, different organisations now provide job descriptions illustrating the qualities they want in an employee.

Running an organisation myself, I believe good understanding of and appropriate use of technology to solve problems, analytical and research skills, an adaptive mindset, good decision-making and problem-solving skills, management, leadership and communication skills, creativity, ethics,  integrity and the ability to accept and learn from criticism are the characteristics every youth needs for their career development.

In many countries, educational institution offers different activities in their formal system and clubs also play a vital role. Platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, EdX, LinekdIn Learning, and many others are helping hands for youths for learning many skills. However, just learning is not enough; volunteer work and internships are also important.

As a student, right now, you should think about the skills you already have, the kind of job you want and additional skills you can learn to build your resume. Remember, if you never try, you will never know.

Osama Bin Noor is the Co-founder of Youth Opportunities and a Fellow of The Royal Commonwealth Society and Yunus & Youth.