2025 Human Capital Ministerial Conclave: What will it take to boost skills for jobs

A billion young people will reach working age in the next decade. Their success hinges on having the right skills for tomorrow's jobs.

The 13^th Human Capital Ministerial Conclave at the 2025 World Bank Group and IMF Annual Meetings focused on Skills for Jobs. Leaders from the manufacturing, digital, and health sectors explored how governments and employers can join forces to prepare workers for tomorrow's in-demand jobs.

Hosted by the Human Capital Project, representatives from 40 countries of the 96-member Human Capital Project Network shared how they are investing in people and partnering with the private sector to equip workers with skills.

For the first time, the Conclave featured a head of state: H.E. Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore and Co-Chair of the World Bank High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs. He joined a discussion with Mamta Murthi, the World Bank Group's Vice President for People, emphasizing the need for flexible pathways that allow people to acquire skills for jobs of the future.

President Tharman underscored that investing in human capital is more vital than ever as AI and other disruptive technologies transform work. Drawing on Singapore's experience, he discussed how the country has achieved educational outcomes that are among the best in the world:

He mentioned that countries can elevate Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), reduce the division between TVET and academic tracks, and adapt higher education to include more applied experiences.

Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank, emphasized that skills are the bridge between growth and jobs. He explained the objective of the Human Capital Project is to ensure that development focuses on people-including their knowledge, health, and capacity to thrive. He asked countries to act with urgency to accelerate investments in human capital, noting that far too many young people continue to lack the skills and opportunities needed to reach their potential.

Thought leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors shared insights on building skills.

Dr. Rubana Huq, Vice-Chancellor of Asian University for Women and former President of Bangladesh's Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, emphasized the importance of both foundational and more advanced skills. She described her success in helping women garment workers access higher education in Bangladesh.

Hon. Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Nigeria spoke about the need to scale up digital skills. He shared examples from Nigeria's agriculture sector. In partnership with the World Bank, Nigeria is investing in training three million people with technical skills to build a strong workforce, ease burdens on the private sector, and position Nigeria as a potential net exporter of digital skills.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry, Co-Founder and CEO of Seed Global Health, emphasized the importance of partnerships and the role of civil society for skills development in the health workforce. In fact, data suggests investing in health workers can yield high economic returns and generate millions of jobs across sectors.

Ministers of Finance, Planning and Budget of the Human Capital Project Network also joined the discussion. They stressed the importance of making lifelong learning a priority and called for education systems to be reformed to ensure they are relevant and responsive to today's challenges. They also emphasized the value of partnering with the private sector to develop skills that match labor market needs.

H.E. Dr. Ashni Singh, Minister of Finance, Guyana spoke on behalf of the newest Network member, affirming Guyana's commitment to investing in people. Jobs are at the heart of Guyana's vision, embedded in investments in both health and education, including lifelong learning.

Several Ministers noted the major global shifts affecting who needs skills and what skills will be needed. Hon. Ms. Katerina Guntsadze, Deputy Minister of Finance, Republic of Georgia noted that her country has undergone a major transformation as well as growth. Education reform remains central to ensuring a skilled workforce in the future.

H.E. Mr. Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance, Ethiopia shared that Ethiopia has 1.8 million new entrants to the labor force each year who urgently need upskilling to meet economic demands. The government is updating education and training policies with a strong emphasis on gender equality and skills training.

Lesotho also has a youthful population with a mismatch between skill demand and supply, noted Hon. Ms. Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, Minister of Finance who shared that the country is shifting to a skills-for-growth framework and partnering with the private sector to create dual apprenticeship models. 

Hon. Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of State for Finance, Nigeria shared that macroeconomic improvement has allowed the country to increase funding to sectors critical to economic growth and job creation such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Skill development is demand-driven by both the public and private sectors.

Countries shared their good practices in working with the private sector and building skills, including in operations with the World Bank. H.E. Ms. Nialé Kaba, Minister of Economy, Planning, and Development, Cote d'Ivoire spoke about efforts to align education with labor market needs. Ongoing initiatives in Cote d'Ivoire have provided training and jobs to hundreds of thousands of young people.

Fiji launched a major technical and vocational education program in partnership with their training and employment centers, and the Employers' Federation, according to the Hon. Prof. Biman Prasad, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Fiji. The focus of these efforts is to build local capacity and address "brain drain."

Finally, H.E. Mr. Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia encouraged measuring success beyond employment numbers. The real test, he noted, is whether jobs boost productivity, raise incomes, and create mobility.