Dubai Cares, Ban Ki-moon Centre signs pact to launch online training and mentoring programme for youth

The new programme, named the ‘Green Jobs for Youth’, expands Dubai Cares’ programme-based portfolio as a key step to place education at the heart of the global climate and development agenda.

The MoU was signed at the Dubai Cares offices by Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations and Co-Chair of BKMC, and Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares.

Dubai Cares and BKMC’s partnership

The new programme will work towards developing the potential of youth as leaders who are proactively contributing to climate action through a full understanding of the crisis, and their personal role in driving positive climate action.

The programme will mentor and support young talent towards aligning their individual skills and aptitudes with career paths in the climate space that enables them to fulfill their true potential, while also contributing to innovative climate solutions that can accelerate the transition to a green economy.

Commenting on the announcement, Ban Ki-moon said during his tenure as Secretary-General of the UN in 2015, the agency adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and signed the Paris Climate Agreement among more than 190 countries.

“Today, as climate hazards such as extreme droughts and floods destroy the livelihoods of families around the world, education becomes increasingly inaccessible, unaffordable, and non-inclusive. As the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens we are looking forward to working with such a key partner as Dubai Cares to showcase how crucial education is to understand the global and personal implications of climate change, the potential that lies in green jobs while empowering youth towards climate action,” he said.

The partnership reflects Dubai Cares and the BKMC’s commitment to strengthening the integration of climate into education through a collaborative and action-oriented programmatic approach.

Dr. Al Gurg said, “Youth are the biggest assets to solve the most complex issues facing humanity, especially climate change. By investing in the education, upskilling and mentorship of youth as climate actors, our partnership with the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens aims to create meaningful opportunities for youth to engage with the climate sector more actively and purposefully, as well as prepare them to lead the transition to a greener economy.”

Dubai Cares’ commitment will be directed towards the programme’s three main components, namely an online course that leverages the power of technology to empower students with green skills; a mentoring element that connects youth with relevant professionals in the green job sector, and a policy recommendation document that will provide decision-makers with access to information that can push policies focused on involving more youth in green jobs.

The programme aims to directly benefit a total of 10,000 young people of 14-20 years of age enrolled in the course.

It will also prepare a cadre of 45 mentees who will work on SDG micro-projects, which are initiatives created and implemented by BKMC fellows, mentees and scholars.

These micro-projects aim to tackle one or more of the SDGs on a local, national, or international level.

In addition, the programme’s online course will also indirectly benefit 277,980 individuals, including parents of the enrolled youth, job providers, policymakers and the public.