Today’s Changemakers: Celebrating Youth Leadership on International Youth Day

By Julieta Ocampo

On August 12, TechnoServe joins the global celebration of International Youth Day, a moment to recognize the important role of young people in driving local action and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s theme, “Youth Localizing the SDGs,” highlights the value of youth-led solutions in communities around the world.

What Is International Youth Day and Why Do We Celebrate It?

Around half of the world’s population is under 30. International Youth Day, observed on August 12, was established to recognize the contributions of young people and raise awareness of the need to ensure their meaningful and inclusive participation in building a more sustainable world.

Brief History of International Youth Day 

International Youth Day was established by the United Nations in 2000 and is rooted in decades of global commitment to youth empowerment. This day serves as a great platform and reminder that young people are both the leaders of tomorrow and the changemakers of today.

Overview of the 2025 Theme: Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond

This year’s International Youth Day emphasizes the vital role young people play in turning global goals into meaningful, community-level action. This is particularly relevant as over 65% of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets are tied to local governance. SDGs represent a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

Youth are essential partners in shaping solutions that reflect local needs while aligning with national and global priorities. Their creativity, insights, and close ties to their communities help bridge the gap between policy and practice. Local and regional governments also play a critical role. By creating inclusive spaces for participation, allocating resources, and supporting youth-led initiatives, they can enable young people to translate their ideas into lasting impact.

Meet Bayron: the Many Ways Youth are Already Leading

When it comes to leadership and achieving the SDGs, it’s important to recognize the everyday ways youth are already leading. Leadership takes many forms: stepping into new spaces, driving innovation, engaging in advocacy, and organizing within communities, among others.

When Bayron Astudillo saw a post about EmpleaT, an Anglo American program implemented by TechnoServe, on Instagram, he wasn’t sure if it was real. The opportunity sounded almost too good to be true. But having recently left an unsatisfying job and eager to deepen his skills in Python—a versatile programming language used to build websites, automate tasks, and analyze data—Bayron decided to take a chance. 

That leap of faith led him to personalized coaching, resume-building support, and technical and soft skills training. “The program helped me identify specific areas for improvement,” he shared. “We went through mock interviews, and I was able to improve my resume and build the confidence I needed.” Today, he works as a junior consultant at ManaCh IT, a company based in Santiago, Chile, that offers data science and IT service management solutions. It’s a role that aligns with his career goals and puts him on a promising path forward.

What is EmpleaT? Creating Employment Pathways for Chilean Youth

EmpleaT aims to increase the financial autonomy of women and young people in nine municipalities across central Chile by strengthening their employability. The program focuses on two core strategies:

• Skills development for job seekers: This begins with a foundational module focused on self-efficacy, self-confidence, and empowerment—laying the groundwork for participants to envision and pursue new opportunities. It is followed by socio-emotional skills development and technical coursework delivered through certified vocational institutions. To ensure alignment with real market demand, TechnoServe works closely with local businesses and municipal employment offices (OMIL) to identify the skills most needed in each region. Based on this analysis, participants receive targeted training in fields such as technology, machinery operation, security services, and administrative accounting—opening doors to employment that reflect the realities and opportunities of their local labor markets.
• A collaborative employment ecosystem: EmpleaT partners with local labor offices, private companies, and other stakeholders to build a supportive ecosystem. These partners receive coaching methodologies to better meet the needs of young people and women.

By focusing on inclusive economic growth in a dynamic urban setting like Santiago, EmpleaT contributes to several SDGs: Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 4 (Quality Education), and Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Between 2023 and 2024, EmpleaT supported 1,061 individuals in enhancing their job search skills. Of these, 77% were young people between the ages of 18 and 35. Within nine months of completing the program, 63% of participants had secured employment, with 60% of them being youth.

Bayron, a Young Leader at Work

Matías Vallejos, business operations manager at ManaCh IT, saw the potential in hiring someone like Bayron. “We were looking for people with a strong desire to learn and gain experience, and to train them according to our processes and best practices,” he explained.

Matías also highlighted the positive impact that bringing young people into the company can have. “Bayron brings the energy and willingness to learn that are typical of youth. He has pushed us to rethink how we do things, with a more innovative perspective.”

The effect has gone beyond individual performance. “Bayron’s addition has created a more dynamic, energetic work environment,” Matías noted. “We’ve seen a valuable generational exchange that fosters learning and collaboration across the team.”

Why Investing in Youth Matters

Bayron’s story reflects what becomes possible when young people are equipped with the tools, training, and opportunities to succeed. Through EmpleaT and similar programs, TechnoServe helps young people gain both the technical skills and the confidence they need to step into meaningful roles.

Around the world, youth are creating businesses, entering supply chains, and bringing innovation to every sector. With the right support, they are transforming their own futures while contributing to more inclusive and prosperous economies.

TechnoServe’s Approach to Youth Participation and Inclusion 

Across sectors and geographies, we support youth in building the skills, accessing the resources, and seizing the opportunities they need to shape more inclusive and prosperous economies. Our approach includes:

• Building critical skills for employment and entrepreneurship. TechnoServe helps youth strengthen both technical and soft skills through training in:
  • Business and financial literacy
  • Digital readiness and innovation
  • Interpersonal communication, adaptability, and problem-solving
  • Negotiation, time management, and resilience
• Expanding access to capital. We partner with financial institutions and youth groups to develop inclusive financial solutions, such as:
  • Youth-targeted savings and lending models
  • Flexible collateral requirements
  • Financial products adapted to rural and informal contexts
• Creating real opportunities to lead. We provide platforms for young people to gain experience and shape their communities through:
  • Internships, apprenticeships, and career coaching
  • Leadership roles in community and program advisory groups
• Strengthening support networks. Recognizing the importance of mentorship and social support, we engage:
  • Parents and caregivers
  • Employers and community leaders
  • Peer networks and youth champions
• Transforming systems for lasting change. We work with ecosystem actors to ensure youth inclusion is sustained beyond the life of our programs by:
  • Integrating entrepreneurship and soft skills training into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curricula
  • Improving job quality in youth-focused sectors: entrepreneurship, Information and Technology, manufacturing, circular economy, and others
  • Supporting policies and business models that drive long-term youth employment

Creating Opportunities Today

Young people should not have to wait for tomorrow to show what they can do. On International Youth Day, we recognize that they are already leading in classrooms, communities, and workplaces. It is up to all of us, as employers, governments, and development partners, to ensure they have access to the training, mentorship, and opportunities they need to continue growing. Because when young people are supported, they don’t just imagine a better future—they build it.