By Esteban Álvarez Díaz and Tannia Guzmán
Alliance for Youth with Decent Work
In Mexico, there are more than 30 million young people between the ages of 15 and 29[1] (INEGI, 2025). However, 14.4 million—nearly half—do not fully exercise their rights to education and decent work. This group of young people facing potential opportunities[2] comprises millions of young people currently experiencing exclusion, precariousness, and poverty.
Faced with this reality, Alliance for Youth with Decent WorkThrough its members, it seeks to produce knowledge to highlight the different problems surrounding the equitable labor inclusion of young people, to engage in constructive dialogue with different actors in society to combine efforts and propose joint initiatives, as well as to influence public policies on training and employability in favor of young Mexicans.
As part of these efforts, the Alliance, together with the Global Youth Opportunity Network in Mexico City (GOYN), the Co-investment for Decent Work and Promotora Social México, convened the forum “Building bridges for decent work: dialogues for youth” On September 24th, more than 60 people gathered, including representatives of federal authorities, international organizations, civil society organizations, and young people from different parts of the country with a shared purpose: To coordinate joint actions and advocacy strategies so that more young people in Mexico can fully exercise their rights.
The first dialogue brought together representatives from the Undersecretariat of Upper Secondary Education (SEMS), the National College of Professional Technical Education (CONALEP), and companies and business representation organizations committed to the economic inclusion of young people through educational processes and employment in dignified conditions. María Fernanda Martínez Villegas, Area Director at the Coordination of Academic Strengthening (COSFAC) of the SEMS, highlighted that technical education “is being revalued as an essential part of the national educational transformation” while Ana Maria RosasThe Academic Secretary of CONALEP explained that the technical and dual education model allows for “the development of profiles with skills that truly meet the needs of the labor market.” From the private sector, Tania Arita, Director of Recruitment at ManpowerGroup and who also chairs the Talent Committee at the Council of Global Companies, stressed that technical education “is not an alternative, but a definitive boost for competitiveness.”
Although the dual education model —which combines academic training and work practice— has shown good results, its reach is still limited: according to data from CONALEP (2025)[3], only 7,000 students graduated under this scheme during the last school year, out of a total of more than 78,000 graduates.
The challenge, therefore, is significant. While technical education is mentioned as a priority within axis 2 of the 2025-2030 National Development Plan, focused on promoting scientific and technological development, its consolidation requires sustained investment, curriculum updates, and closer collaboration between the education and economic sectors.
That is why the Alliance proposes to strengthen - with budget, policies and programs - the technical upper secondary education and training institutions (EMS) within the framework of priority initiatives of the current administration.
During the panel, the need to complement technical skills with socio-emotional and digital competencies was also emphasized, in addition to incorporating topics such as mental health, English and financial education into study programs.
These skills are essential for a well-rounded education and for meeting the demands of today's job market. In a country where 791% of students have little to no command of English (El País, 2025)[4], and where emotional well-being challenges affect school retention and increase dropout rates, technical education cannot be limited to job training; it must prepare young people for life.
The forum's second discussion space addressed how the Mexico Plan can become an opportunity to promote decent jobs and strengthen local supply chains led by young people. Luis GutiérrezThe Secretary of Economy explained that the strategy aims to encourage national industry to "turn its attention to young people" and recognize their talent in entrepreneurship, SMEs, and social enterprises. From UNDP Mexico, Isidora Zapata He highlighted the usefulness of tools such as the Youth Human Development Index (HDI-J) for designing territorially focused policies that respond to local realities. For his part, Octavio RivasThe representative from the Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro (Youth Building the Future) program emphasized that job placement must be accompanied by the development of skills that allow young people to build productive and meaningful career paths.
The data confirm that the challenges are profound: 4.8 million young people between the ages of 15 and 29 are neither studying nor working in Mexico, an improvement over the 4.9 million in 2023, but still a high figure that should concern us. Furthermore, INEGI (2025)[5] reports that 4.2 million young people lack social security and sufficient income. Although the youth unemployment rate has remained low—around 5.91%[6]—job insecurity continues to be the most persistent reality in Mexican society.
In this context, the young people who participated in the forum emphasized something essential: that no conversation about the country's future can take place without them as key players. Three common priorities emerged from the dialogues: revaluing and updating upper secondary education, especially technical and vocational education; strengthening technical, socio-emotional, and digital skills that prepare students for life and employment; and consolidating multi-sectoral alliances with shared goals and indicators that ensure monitoring and accountability.
The meeting concluded by reaffirming what we at the Alliance for Youth with Decent Work promote every day: that young people don't need speeches, but real opportunities. Educating, employing, and supporting young people not only strengthens their individual development, but can also transform the country.
“Building bridges for decent work: dialogues for youth” It was another step in that direction: a reminder that collaboration between government, businesses, academia, civil society and young people is the way to guarantee a future where every person can work with dignity and live with hope.
Literature
Barragán, A(March 31, 2025). Mexico fails English: 79% of students have a total lack of knowledge. El País. https://elpais.com/mexico/2025-03-31/mexico-reprobado-en-ingles-el-79-de-los-alumnos-tienen-un-desconocimiento-total.html
National Institute of Statistics and Geography. (2025, August 7). Statistics on the occasion of International Youth Day (August 12) [Press release]. https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/saladeprensa/aproposito/2025/EAP_Juventud.pdf
National College of Professional Technical Education(August 9, 2025). Seven thousand of the 78,000 students who graduated from CONALEP received training for the productive sectors: Mario Delgado, head of the SEP. CONALEP. https://www.conalep.edu.mx/siete-mil-de-78-mil-estudiantes-egresados-del-conalep-se-capacitaron-para-los-sectores-productivos
Statista(2025, Second quarter). Unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 in selected Latin American countries [Graph]. Statista. https://es.statista.com/grafico/34589/tasa-de-desocupacion-en-jovenes-de-15-a-24-anos-en-paises-seleccionados-de-america-latina/#:~:text=According to data from the second quarter, the 14 years and 18 years
INEGI 2025. Poverty Measurement 2024. Young people aged 15-29 who attend school, lack sufficient income to rise above the income poverty line and experience at least one social deprivation
[1] National Institute of Statistics and Geography. (2025, August 7). Statistics on the occasion of International Youth Day (August 12) [Press release].
[2] The term "opportunity youth" refers to people aged 15 to 29 who are resilient, creative and problem-solving, who come from adverse contexts and who, by having an opportunity for social, educational and work inclusion in dignified conditions, contribute to the country's economic growth and begin a process of social mobility.
[3] National College of Professional Technical Education. (2025, August 9). Seven thousand of the 78 thousand students who graduated from Conalep were trained for the productive sectors: Mario Delgado, head of SEP. CONALEP.
[4] Barragán, A. (2025, March 31). Mexico, failing in English: 79% of students have a total lack of knowledge. El País.
[5] INEGI 2025. Poverty Measurement 2024. Young people aged 15-29 who attend school, lack sufficient income to overcome the income poverty line and at least one social deprivation
[6] Statista. (2025, Second quarter). Unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 in selected Latin American countries [Graph]. Statista.