Microsoft Launches YouthSpark

[Source: Microsoft YouthSpark, September 20, 2012]

The world stands at a crossroads. While there are more young people on the planet than ever before, youth unemployment is double that of the adult population. Countries are struggling to develop modern workforces due to the growing gap between the skills of unemployed workers and the skills needed to perform the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Today’s young people face an opportunity divide – a gap between those who have the access, skills and opportunities to be successful and those who do not. Closing this opportunity divide is one of the most important actions we can all take to secure the future of our youth and the future of our global economy.

Microsoft YouthSpark is a companywide initiative designed to create opportunities for hundreds of millions of youth around the world. Through partnerships with governments, nonprofits and businesses, YouthSpark aims to empower youth to imagine and realize their full potential by connecting them with greater education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. They want to empower youth to change their world.

As part of the YouthSpark initiative, Microsoft has launched Give for Youth, a micro-giving portal designed to help you fund and follow the dreams of young people around the world. With your donation, young people can connect with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship.

Give for Youth helps to empower people like Mary Mwende, a young woman from Kenya whose experience gaining technology skills has helped her to realize new possibilities and give back to others. Find out more about Mary's story in the video below: