Winners of the Skills in Action Photo Competition 2018

• Encouraging youth employment and entrepreneurship – showing how youth are able to put skills acquired into practice, leading to securing jobs or starting their own businesses.
• Promoting equity and gender equality – showing how access to skills development should be for all young people and how skills development can overcome gender stereotypes and inequality issues.
• Facilitating transition to sustainable economies and societies - showing how young people with greening and digital (ICT) skills can help build sustainable societies and help address climate change and sustainable development related issues.

1st Prize winner

Female shoemaker - Sibomana Gilbert, Rwanda

CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO © UNESCO-UNEVOC/Sibomana Gilbert

Description: This photo was taken in Muhanga district, in the southern province of Rwanda. Gloriose Mukanyandwi is 25 and she lives with a disability of having lost one leg from cancer. Through the support of a local organisation, she is now learning shoemaking.

Learn more about Sibomana Gilbert

Learn more about Sibomana Gilbert

Sibomana Gilbert is a 28-year-old Rwandan. He started out as a short story writer before joining the Africa Digital Media Academy where he studied filmmaking for 3 years. Gilbert owns a small filmmaking company called Coin Motion Pictures and he is currently working on a project as a Photo Journalist to collect stories, photos, and short videos of youth who live with disabilities. The project facilitates their access to technical and business skills through TVET across Africa in countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. In Rwanda, the project was implemented through a local non-profit organization called The Umbrella of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in fighting against HIV /AIDS and for health promotion (UPHLS).

This winning photo is of one of the youths that Gilbert is documenting for his project. He decided to submit this photo of Gloriose Mukanyandwi because she was spontaneously smiling, instead of her usual serious face of concentration while working.

Gilbert notes that TVET has played an important role in his life. After his training, he was able to get a job and improve his standard of living. He also realizes that TVET is very important for the youth, especially those living with disabilities who have been left behind. Most of them are poor and do not have access to formal education. Since TVET Schools provide hands-on skills, it is very useful for these young people. It enables them to acquire skills and finally find jobs or create their own jobs to support themselves and contribute to the community. In general, TVET gives them access to the labour market.

2nd Prize winner

Eureka, I’ve done it! - Amitava Chandra, India

CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO © UNESCO-UNEVOC/Amitava Chandra

Description: The student is in a jubilant mood on yielding a complete garment independently, which also brings a smile for a satisfied teacher. The photo was taken in the area of South 24-Parganas, West-Bengal, India.

Learn more about Amitava Chandra

Learn more about Amitava Chandra

Amitava Chandra studied Mathematics and is currently working in the Revenue Department of the Ministry of Finance in India. Amateur photography plays a major role in his life. Amitava tries to find the layers of humanity in and around society while he enjoys a break from regular daily life. Such searching often leads to interaction with people who are in need as well as people who care for those in need.

In this vocational hub, he saw this jubilant and confident smile from one of the trainees whose body language showed she had finally accomplished what she set out to do. The role model in the photo shows how vocational skills can serve as a confidence-building measure in one’s life, especially for youths, whereby involving his/her creativity can yield the intended achievement and lead to a successful life.

3rd Prize winner

Overcome fate - Linh Pham, Vietnam

CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO © UNESCO-UNEVOC/Linh Pham

Description: This is Lieu, 23 years old. She was a victim of a chemical agent attack. Before, she was not able to do any work and lived on a pension. But now, Lieu is able to make her own money by crafting bead flowers that require incredible effort. In Vietnam, there are still a lot of people suffering the same fate as Lieu and she strives to be an example for others in overcoming adversity.

Learn more about Linh Pham

Learn more about Linh Pham

Linh Pham is a 35-year-old Freelance Journalist from Vietnam. He lives in the coastal city of Danang with his family. He has been working as a Freelance Journalist for 10 years, with a variety of activities such as reporting news, writing articles, photography, media, PR, and organizing events.

In his desire to serve the community and contribute something positive, he seeks out social projects in the areas of culture, education, health, and environment to collaborate as a Photographer and Media Supporter. He prefers to collaborate on projects that are meaningful and beneficial to the community.

Linh Pham was motivated to take this picture due to Lieu’s focus on her job. Even though she had many challenges to overcome, the image is motivating because she is passionate about what she is doing. Linh noted that he has benefitted from TVET courses in the past and that vocational skills are very important for young people.

• Artisan who makes bamboo hat - Aung Ya, Myanmar
• Female mechanic - Wendy Obeng, Ghana
• Inquisitives - Chakraborty Debdatta, India
• Female shoemaker - Adebisi Adebayo, Nigeria
• The jari workers - Debdatta Chakraborty, India
• Pineapple cultivation - Moniruzzaman Sazal, Bangladesh
• Looking to the Future - Elena Shvelidze, Russia
• Training in aluminium factory - Moniruzzaman Sazal, Bangladesh
• Train this generation - Sadipani Chattopadhyay, India
• Car mechanic drilling press and metal vice - Bongani Ndlovu,South Africa
• Making bamboo-based products - Moniruzzaman Sazal, Bangladesh
• Skills to serve - Soumya B, India
• Disability inclusion in TVET leading to employment - Flavian Mbusi, Kenya
• Female mobile repair and maintainance - Jane Kinyutu, Kenya
• Youth trainer - knitting - Gilbert Sibomana, Rwanda
• Our steps towards sustainable development - Elena Shvelidze, Russia
• Brickmaker - Aung Ya, Myanmar

We will contact the top 3 winners and the top 20 finalists with information on how to receive their cash prizes and/or certificates accordingly.

We would like to thank Gabriela Anna Cieploch for helping us to evaluate the entries. Gabriela is working as a Communications Specialist at Youth, Literacy and Skills Development of the Education Sector at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Further information

World Youth Skills Day is also celebrated across the UNEVOC Network. You can find examples of activities carried out by our UNEVOC Centres here