BRICS member states agreed to work towards youth employability to bring down NEET rates

Member states of BRICS, Wednesday, proposed working towards promoting youth employability through expanded apprenticeships, internships, vocational education, entrepreneurship programmes, and targeted initiatives for youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET), with the objective of reducing the NEET rates.

A consensus to this effect was arrived at the 2nd BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting under India’s presidency in Kerala with delegation from China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa and UAE along with knowledge partners like the International Labour Organization, International Social Security Association and United Nations India, the ministry of labour and employment said in a statement.

“The meeting focused on advancing cooperation across three priority areas, namely social security and formalisation, women’s workforce participation, and skills development,” it said.


As per the statement issued after the first day of the event, member states also proposed BRICS capacity building forum on social security and skills framework as voluntary, consensus-based mechanisms to enhance cooperation among nations.

The forum is expected to focus on capacity building on data architecture, technical exchanges for extending coverage to informal, self-employed, and gig workers, and exploring the possibility of developing methodological tools for addressing coverage gaps, it said.

“Technological acceleration, artificial intelligence, the green transition, demographic shifts, and the rapid expansion of gig and platform work are redefining labour markets across all BRICS nations,” labour secretary Vandana Gurnani said at the event.

“It is the collective responsibility of BRICS member states to ensure that social protection systems adapt, women's participation accelerates, skills systems become responsive, and digital technologies serve inclusion,” she added.

The BRICS member states also called for closer linkages between existing qualification frameworks, skills taxonomy, and vocational education systems to reduce skills mismatch and enhance labour mobility.