ETS, JA Worldwide, and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited Partner to Measure Durable Skills of Millions of Youth to Prepare for Future of Work
April 23, 2025
ETS, a global education and talent solutions organization, JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide, one of the top-ranked youth-serving NGOs, and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU), a leading public-private-youth partnership for youth skilling and livelihoods, announced today a new partnership aimed to measure and equip future-ready skills for millions of young people, while revolutionizing talent acquisition and workforce planning for governments and employers.
According to a 2022 report by UNICEF, nearly three quarters of young people aged 15 to 24 in 92 countries are off-track to acquire the skills needed for employment -- with those in low-income countries the least likely to have the skills required to thrive, particularly in future employment opportunities, decent work, and entrepreneurship.
“Measuring and developing the right skills are key to unlocking human potential,” said Michelle Froah, SVP of Corporate Solutions at ETS. “This partnership will allow us to continue to expand ETS’s global impact and Human Progress Commitment, to ready 100M+ people for the next generation of jobs through skills measurement and AI-driven solutions with ETS’s Futurenav. ETS, JA Worldwide and GenU are together uniquely positioned to both shape individuals’ futures and drive measurable outcomes for communities, governments and employers worldwide.”
This collaboration will result in further strengthening existing programming, including JA Worldwide’s Entrepreneurial Skills Pass credential and GenU’s Yoma platform. ETS will serve as a collaborative global measurement and impact research partner to both organizations, providing valid skills assessment and research-based outcomes data through its Futurenav Skillprint skills profile solution to help JA Worldwide and GenU provide personalized career guidance to youth, better preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow.
“JA is committed to reaching young people everywhere with immersive learning experiences that equip them with the skillset and mindset to find meaningful work and to start sustainable companies,” said Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide. “We recently launched The JA Institute for action-oriented research that deepens our impact intelligence. Together with ETS and GenU we will have the ecosystem and the technology to drive improved outcomes across the communities we serve.”
In addition to measurement data and insights, the organizations will together engage corporate partners and regional development organizations to help more easily bridge the gap between youth education and employment – serving to reinforce the value of lifelong learning from Pre-K to grey.
“Over the last three years, Generation Unlimited has reached 199 million young people through skilling and livelihood programmes,” said Kevin Frey, CEO Generation Unlimited at UNICEF. “This partnership with JA and ETS can be revolutionary, as together we can create an evidence-based skills ecosystem. This will enable millions of youth to curate personalized learning to earning journeys and be the architects of their own future.”
About ETS
ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization enabling lifelong learners to be future ready. We advance the science of measurement to build the benchmarks for fair and valid skill assessment. We are committed to powering human progress by promoting skill proficiency, empowering upward mobility and unlocking more opportunities for everyone, everywhere. Our assessment products – including the TOEFL, TOEIC, GRE, and Praxis Assessments – as well as our innovative solutions and subsidiaries help 50 million people each year to clarify their strengths and find opportunities for growth in education, work and beyond. We continue to operate around the world, with offices in 25 locations and operations in 200 countries and territories. Learn more at ets.org.
About Generation Unlimited (Gen U)
Launched by the UN Secretary-General at the 2018 UN General Assembly, Generation Unlimited is a leading global Public-Private-Youth Partnership on a mission to skill and connect the world’s 1.8 billion young people to opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, and social impact. Anchored in UNICEF, the partnership brings together global organizations and leaders including Heads of State, CEOs, Heads of UN agencies, and civil society champions with young people to co-create and deliver innovative solutions on a global scale. Visit us at generationunlimited.org.