We, the Ministers responsible for Education, Labour and Employment of the G20 and invited countries,
met in Mendoza, Argentina, on 6 September 2018, to address the Presidency´s priority the Future of
Work to achieve fair and sustainable development for all.
We recognize that technological innovation along with other social, economic and environmental
transformations are profoundly affecting global economies and societies as well as changing job
requirements and skills demand. These trends bring opportunities and challenges to the way people live
and work. Education and training enable people to make use of these opportunities and further advance
in their personal and professional development.
Recalling the results of previous G20 presidencies, including the G20 Training Strategy (2010), G20 Skills
Strategy (2015), Hangzhou Leaders' Summit (2016), and Hamburg Leaders' Summit (2017) as well as the
2030 Agenda for sustainable development, we affirm the commitments made concerning the
interrelation between skills and employment. We also recognize the importance of promoting
opportunities for people to reskill and upskill throughout their professional and personal lives, so that
they can successfully adapt to change.
We acknowledge that coordination of policies and cooperation between education and employment
ministries as well as with other relevant stakeholders is essential for promoting strong, sustainable,
balanced and inclusive economic growth. Building on the consensus reached during the Argentine
Presidency, we commit to develop national skills strategies that support successful and fair transitions
between education, training and the world of work through an inclusive and lifelong learning approach,
according to national and local circumstances.
We are pleased to celebrate this first-ever G20 Joint Education and Labour and Employment Ministerial
Meeting and highlight the complementarity between the G20 Education & Labour and Employment
Ministers' Declaration 2018 and our respective Declarations.
Developing Skills for an Inclusive Future of Work
We acknowledge the importance of promoting a holistic, inclusive and lifelong learning approach in skills
development policies that respect human rights. We will continue preparing our people from early
childhood throughout adulthood with the appropriate knowledge, values and set of skills to facilitate
access to and creation of quality jobs and personal development, fostering upskilling and reskilling
throughout their lives and building an active citizenship. We recognize the importance of addressing both
the demand and supply of skills through joint initiatives that promote more dynamic connections
between education, training and the world of work.
We recognize that strong foundation skills are the basis for acquiring other relevant skills. It is key to
develop 21st century skills, including digital skills, given their increasing importance and demand in both
existing and emerging jobs. We endorse skills development that incorporates adaptability, resilience and
learning to learn as a means of ongoing and inclusive upskilling and reskilling in a context of continuous
change.
Robust education and training systems promote access to better jobs, salaries and quality of life. We
must prioritize skills development among vulnerable and underrepresented groups, which are at higher
risk of exclusion and marginalization. We commit to addressing disparities and inequalities through
policies that ensure inclusive and equitable opportunities for all.
It is a priority for G20 countries to reduce gender gaps, widen access to education and skills across all
ages, and strengthen women empowerment, by increasing their participation in labour markets and
society fostering equal conditions.
Improving Skills Governance through a Whole-of-Government and Multi-Stakeholder Approach
Skills development is a cross-cutting matter and a shared responsibility. Therefore, effective policy
implementation and governance require the adoption of a whole-of-government and multi-stakeholder
approach, in which all relevant public, private and social actors participate in continuous dialogue and
joint actions. Intra-governmental cooperation and social dialogue encourage the development of policies
that are mutually reinforcing and inclusive of diverse perspectives.
School-to-work transition is a persistent challenge across many G20 countries. We should continue
working to reduce obstacles and build bridges between education, training systems and the world of
work. It is essential to promote opportunities for youth to transition to employment including vocational
education, mentoring, career guidance, apprenticeships, internships, first-employment programs, and
attractive career pathways for young professionals.
We recognize the importance of designing skills policies that are evidence-based, adaptable to changes,
innovative, and that increase equity and quality learning. In that regard, social dialogue and consultation
of civil society are key in this this process. We therefore endorse the G20 Guidelines on Skills for an
Inclusive Future of Work (Annex 1).
Way Forward
We will address our commitments in this Declaration and the guidelines in its Annex. We welcome the
collaboration of the Education Working Group and Employment Working Group with the Digital Economy
Task Force and the Development Working Group, and commit to continuing to foster dialogue among
G20 work streams.
We appreciate the expertise provided by the ILO, UNESCO, OECD and the World Bank, including reports
on key issues, and the role and cooperation of the Business 20 and Labour 20. We are also grateful for
the dialogue held with Civil 20, Women 20, Youth 20 and Think 20. We will continue building upon the
valuable inputs of the International Organizations and engagement groups at future meetings.
We will submit this Declaration to the G20 Leaders' Summit to be held in Buenos Aires on 30 November
– 1 December 2018. We commit to continuing our work and taking the steps necessary to build solid
bridges between education, training and employment.
G20 Guidelines on Skills for an Inclusive Future of Work
In order to support the implementation of measures across a range of policies that increase skills
development for an inclusive and equitable Future of Work, we endorse, taking into account respective
national circumstances, the following guidelines:
Developing Skills for an Inclusive Future
Promoting the acquisition of strong foundation skills, including numeracy and literacy for all children
and youth; and assisting low skilled adults in need of stronger foundation skills.
Fostering 21st century skills including critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, communication,
flexibility and collaboration skills that enable adaptability and resilience to the changing nature of work.
Promoting entrepreneurial skills including leadership, initiative taking, sustainability, organizational
development and innovation, as entrepreneurship can facilitate job creation, economic growth and
social cohesion.
Fostering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) skills in order to
emphasize the integration of fields of knowledge with creativity.
Encouraging the enhancement of digital literacy and digital skills such as programming, big data analysis,
coding and robotics in education and work environments as age appropriate.
Encouraging strategies that apply digital technologies in education and on-the-job-training to upgrade
employees' digital skills taking into account individuals and enterprises' needs in order to address
regional disparities in access to services.
Promoting Technical and Vocational Education and Training to improve employability and access to
quality jobs, combined with active labour market policies and public and private employment services.
Improving teachers' and trainers' competencies and skills through professional development
opportunities enabling them to deliver high-quality and up-to-date teaching with technology.
Supporting schools and training institutions with appropriate infrastructure, administrative capacity and
resources necessary to successfully develop 21st century skills among people of all ages.
Strengthening and further developing lifelong-learning systems that provide continuous opportunities
of upskilling and reskilling for adults.
Encouraging ongoing career counselling and job-placement services to all individuals, not only in
education institutions but also for the employed, unemployed and those in the informal sector.
Harnessing the full potential of technological advances to improve learning outcomes and employability
for vulnerable and underrepresented groups by making education and training systems more accessible
and providing the necessary support to all learners according to their needs.
Providing youth and all those who need it with career guidance and accurate labour market information
free from gender bias, as well as access to quality apprenticeships, including in emerging occupations.
These initiatives should focus on vulnerable NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training) to ease
transitions between education, training and the world of work.
Encouraging the inclusion of women at all levels of education, especially in programs to develop STEM
skills, creating equal opportunities and equal access to quality employment and salaries. Promoting the
equal distribution of caring responsibilities, enhancing the reconciliation of work and family life and
increasing the provision of childcare services, in order to facilitate the continuation of studies and
professional development.
Ensure that children and persons with disabilities are not left behind and have equal access to education.
Consider putting in place appropriate mechanisms of skills acquisition for persons with disabilities.
Improving Skills Governance through a Whole-of-Government and Multi-Stakeholder Approach
Creating synergies within and across governance systems with appropriate regulatory frameworks
including collaboration of education and labour ministries across different levels of government.
Promoting social dialogue and collaboration through accountability, flexibility and strong consultative
mechanisms, that enable employers, governments, workers, and training and educational institutions
to reach long-term consensus on skills policies and better anticipate to change.
Strengthening statistical information systems and cooperate with the private sector to complement
government data, and promote graduate tracking systems, taking into account privacy legislation.
In cooperation with social partners, regularly monitoring skills needs in the workplace to adjust if
necessary education and training policies and programmes according to the changing world of work.
Strengthening partnerships between enterprises, start-ups, vocational schools, local authorities and
other relevant actors by setting up regional or sector-specific clusters.
Promoting the use of comprehensive skills development frameworks that meet both educational
standards and labour market realities.
Promoting efficient financing for and continuous investment in skills development.
