A file photo shows a participant engaging at a vocational skills competition in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. /CFP
Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, World Youth Skills Day is observed every year on 15 July. The day aims to raise the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.
A file photo shows a young participant in a skills competition operating an excavator to throw a basketball into a hoop in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. /CFP
This year's theme, "Youth Skills for Peace and Development," promotes awareness and understanding of the crucial role young people play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
Students enrolled in a night school course receive a flower arrangement tutorial in Chongqing, June 18, 2024. /CFP
Technical and vocational education, training, and apprenticeships are crucial to promoting youth employability and entrepreneurship. In China, night schools are stepping up, offering something beyond the usual curriculum, including courses on everything from flower arrangement to Chinese intangible cultural heritage, making "attending night school" a new craze among young people.
Students enrolled in a night school course receive a makeup lesson in Chongqing, May 23, 2024. /CFP
For these enthusiastic students, the primary motivation for enrolling in night school is to pursue personal interests and fulfill aspirations that many have had since childhood.
A file photo shows students attending a night school course being taught folk dance in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. /CFP