Youth Lead Calls for Fair, Future-Ready Jobs at 2025 Gyeonggi–ILO Labour Festa

ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, speaking at the opening, emphasised the urgency of addressing youth employment challenges globally.

Young people from across the globe placed their demands for more inclusive, secure and forward-looking employment policies at the centre of the 2025 Gyeonggi–ILO International Labour Festa, held from 15–17 December 2025 in Goyang, Republic of Korea. With the theme “Youth, Provinces and the Future of Work,” the event brought together over 100 youth delegates, government representatives, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and international partners.

Spotlight on Youth Priorities in a Changing World of Work

ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, speaking at the opening, emphasised the urgency of addressing youth employment challenges globally.

“More than 20 per cent of youth across the globe, overwhelmingly young women, are not in employment, education or training,” he said. “For those who do find work, all too often it is precarious and informal… This reality calls for determined action.”

Participants explored how shifting global trends—AI, automation, climate change, and digital transformation—are reshaping labour markets and creating new uncertainties for young workers.

Youth Dialogue With Provincial and National Leaders

Throughout the three-day summit, youth engaged directly with key leaders including:

• Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province

• Kim Young-hoon, Minister of Employment and Labour, Republic of Korea

• Senior ILO representatives

• Local and international employers’ and workers’ organizations

Discussions focused on:

• building stronger pathways into decent and secure jobs

• improving access to emerging digital and green-economy opportunities

• addressing inequities amplified by automation and climate shifts

• the need for more responsive policy design in fast-changing labour markets

“Youth are not merely beneficiaries of policy, but partners who help set the direction,” said Employment Minister Kim Young-hoon. Governor Kim Dong-yeon added, “Above all, we will listen closely to the voices of young people, the true protagonists of the future.”

Provinces as “Policy Laboratories” for Employment Innovation

A central theme was the critical role of sub-national governments. Delegates highlighted how provinces and regional authorities are well-placed to design, test, and scale new policy solutions tailored to local labour-market conditions.

These innovations—ranging from youth-focused job guarantees to digital skills pipelines, local green-jobs initiatives, and platform-worker protections—have the potential to shape national policy frameworks.

Showcasing Global and Local Solutions

The Festa showcased:

• national employment strategies and youth-led local solutions

• green-economy programmes and innovations in AI and digital skills

• rights and safeguards for digital platform workers

• jointly developed initiatives with governments, unions, and employers

• youth-designed employment and social-protection projects

These exchanges allowed participants to learn from global models and explore new ways to promote decent work for young people, especially those in vulnerable regions or facing systemic barriers.

Advancing the ILO Youth Employment Action Plan 2020–2030

The event also served as a platform to advance commitments under the ILO Youth Employment Action Plan 2020–2030, emphasising participatory decision-making and deeper youth engagement.

During the Festa, the ILO launched its new training package, “Meaningful Youth Engagement for Decent Work,” developed to help governments and social partners work with youth as equal partners in designing and delivering employment policies. The initiative also supports the Global Coalition for Social Justice, focusing on empowering youth for long-term social and economic equity.

A Collaborative Global Effort

The 2025 International Labour Festa was organised jointly by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labour, reaffirming strong multilevel cooperation toward inclusive, sustainable employment systems.