Caritas PNG marked World Youth Skills Day on Monday 15th of July 2024 at Don Bosco Technical School in Port Moresby with panel discussions highlighting the importance of upskilling youths, which will in turn benefit a country's economy. Present at the event was Caritas PNG, along with students and staff from various technical and vocational schools in NCD. Project Manager for Caritas PNG, Charlotte Vada recounted the horrific events which took place on January 10th, suggesting a possible link between the riots and the skill-state of the youths in NCD. "The riots which occurred earlier this year, were largely led by our youth population; and one cannot help but speculate the effects of social disorder are a symptom of underlying issues such as lack of education and employment opportunities." The first panel discussion regarding technical education was led by a representative from La Salle PNG, Br Anthony Swamy and a representative from the National Catholic Education Secretariat, Fr Lawrence Arockiaraj. This panel highlighted the challenges present in delivering technical education in the country, much of which are due to lack of qualified teachers and the few technical colleges available. A second discussion centered on employability in the workforce, was led by representatives from Steamships Trading, Coral Sea Hotels, Total Energies and Joisen Training Consultancy. Towards the end, pointers were given to the students on how to stand out during recruitment. Transferrable skills such as effective communication, problem solving and the ability to learn fast was emphasized. Traits such as punctuality, confidence and authenticity in the workplace was also mentioned.