As the world faces accelerating technological disruption, shifting labour markets, and growing needs to deliver more equitable and sustainable development, the question of how to build skills systems that are both excellent and human-centred has never been more urgent. For the millions of young people entering the workforce each year, the answer to that question will shape their opportunities, their livelihoods, and their futures.
This opening panel uses the concept of innovation ecosystems as a concrete and practical lens through which to examine how change happens in and around TVET systems. Innovation in skills development does not happen in isolation: it requires the alignment of policy, investment, institutional capacity, and industry engagement across the full ecosystem. The session draws on current thinking on how to tackle the global skills challenge, alongside perspectives from governments, international organisations, the private sector and Youth, to explore what systemic, human-centred innovation looks like in practice.
The discussion brings a dual perspective: drawing on China’s experience as one of the world’s most dynamic and large-scale TVET systems, while situating that experience within a truly global conversation. It examines how skills-focused innovation ecosystems can support the transitions underway by strengthening human-centred, technology-enabled TVET systems that deliver for learners, workers, and young people alike.
The session sets the scene for the Conference as a whole, opening the broader inquiry into what a skills-driven future looks like in practice, and what governments, institutions, and industries must do together to make it a reality.
