ETF and UNIDO formalise partnership to promote green skills and sustainable development

The European Training Foundation (ETF) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) signed a joint declaration at the beginning of August 2020 and held a public announcement with the participation of the ETF Director, Cesare Onestini, and UNIDO’s Director for Agri-business, Dejena Tezera, during the Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF) Forum, 6 -8 October.

The aim of the partnership is to further promote green skills and sustainable development which may enable transition and developing countries to stay ahead of environmental challenges and opportunities in a fast-changing global and political landscape, reduce poverty and promote inclusive economic development.

The ETF-UNIDO partnership will consist of enhanced cooperation in the field of knowledge creation, consolidation, skills development and promotion of reforms in the training sector to better respond to the skills-gap for sustainable industries in developing and transition countries.

 “This partnership is a commitment to join forces for the promotion of green skills and social fairness, with a focus on enterprise development. We need to identify and learn from best practice and from the experience of different countries facing similar challenges”, said the ETF Director, Cesare Onestini.

“Investing in the synergy between the European Training Foundation and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization is a chance to put together the strengths of the two organisations, and also to create stronger ties in our respective initiatives”, added UNIDO’s Director for Agri-business, Dejena Tezera.

Signing the agreement at the LKDF Forum is a concrete sign of how the platform can contribute to share know-how from different perspectives and different countries. The solutions proposed during the Forum highlighted the importance of the support that government and young people need for continuous skilling and training in new sustainable and digital sectors that are becoming predominant, especially considering the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

Background

The LKDF Forum is a platform bringing together stakeholders, academics, and public sector to share ideas and solutions on how to integrate sustainability and green skills in VET curricula to fill the gap in the mismatch between labour market demands and young workers professionality in the developing countries.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The primary objective of UNIDO is the promotion of inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in developing countries and economies in transition. It works to advance economic competitiveness and create shared prosperity while safeguarding the environment, as well as strengthening knowledge and institutions.

The European Training Foundation is the agency of the European Union supporting the countries in the EU’s neighbouring regions in the reform of their education and labour market systems, in line with the EU’s external action. By supporting human capital development, the ETF contributes to social and economic development and to long-term political stability.