CodeX, an award-winning, student led social enterprise attached to the University of Nottingham, UK, is a very good example on how to enhance the employability of young people by providing education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and reduced inequalities.
CodeX offers one-to-one coding lessons with a trained tutor, where students can learn Python, one of the world’s most widely used programming languages. The aim is to improve the employability of young people by teaching them to code. In particular, CodeX aims to create inclusive courses that are suitable for both people with and without ASC (Autistic Spectrum Condition).
There are three types of courses: the "ASC Course" - a 6-week, 6-hour long course that gives students with ASC the opportunity to engage in a coding experience that is tailored to their needs through the course's delivery and format. The second, "Non-ASC Course", is offered in schools, for a larger cohort of students (without ASC). These courses will also follow the 6-week, 6-lesson package format. And, finally, CodeX offers an "Employability Session", a 1-hour session run by one of the sponsors, where they give an insight into the tech industry and how programming can be applied within the working world.
All courses are inclusive and accessible, and they offer price flexibility where possible, so that gender, race, economics and neurodiversity are not barriers to success, as CodeX believes that everyone should have equal employment opportunities, and are committed to tackling the employment gap for people with autism.
More information on the CodeX website.

Two resource kits by EU-OSHA to tackle musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace are available and can be used in combination.
First of all, the MSD conversation starters (we presented them in our news a while ago) are now available in many languages. The brochure covers different scenarios, including tackling MSDs in a range of different jobs and can be used to facilitate group discussions in the workplace or during training. The tool contains guidance for managers and employees on communicating about MSDs.
The second resource is the "Understanding Musculoskeletal Disorders " toolkit, which uses more than a dozen Napo films to raise awareness among staff and suppliers, on topics such as bad postures, repetitive work, early detection of MSDs, handling loads and many more. The toolkit, which contains a ‘facilitator guidance’ and ‘discussion activities’, is also suitable for vocational training courses.
Click here to access the resources on the EU-OSHA website.

The project “SDG 8 - Promoting decent work and productive employment through Higher Education”, coordinated by ENETOSH Task Force 2, is an official Task Group within the Global OSH Coalition.
The Global Coalition for Safety and Health by ILO was launched on 29 November 2019 at the Vison Zero Summit in Helsinki and is composed of Task Groups that reflect the identified priorities of the global agenda on safety and health at work.
The aim of this Task Group within the Global Occupational Safety and Health Coalition (GOC) is to promote decent work and productive employment through improved and coordinated education and training programs on safety and health in Higher Education at national, European and international level.
The Task Group seeks to improve awareness, commitment, knowledge and skills among future (and current) professionals and decision-makers participating in HE programs, enabling them to identify and reduce safety- and health-adverse working conditions and to promote a preventative culture at work and in employment. According to the principles guiding the SDG process, the Task Group follows a holistic approach that also includes personality development and entrepreneurship. It is an inherent feature of the project to build a bridge between the academic world and the world of work.
Learn more about the Global coalition on the ILO website.

Every three years, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) evaluates the educational systems in their member and non-member nations in a worldwide study, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The next PISA study to measure 15-year-old school pupils' scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading will be in 2021.
Components of the 2021 study will be "Financial Literacy", "Information and communication technologies (ICT)", "Mathematics" and, for the first time, "Creative Thinking".
The PISA 2021 draft by OECD says: "... Creative thinking is [...] more than simply coming up with random ideas. It is a tangible competence, grounded in knowledge and practice, that supports individuals in achieving better outcomes, oftentimes in constrained and challenging environments. [...]
Developing an international assessment of creative thinking can encourage positive changes in education policies and pedagogies. The PISA 2021 creative thinking assessment will provide policymakers with valid, reliable and actionable measurement tools that will help them to make evidence-based decisions."
You can find the whole PISA 2021 Assessment and Analytical Framework on the OECD website.