According to a 2004 International Labour Organization (ILO) report, young people represent 130 million of the world's 550 million working poor who are unable to lift themselves and their families above the equivalent of the $1 per day poverty line. These young people struggle to survive, often performing work under unsatisfactory conditions in the informal economy. Encouraging civic involvement and investing in the key concerns for young people must be an urgent priority of governments and civil society. Recent major international conferences have addressed issues surrounding the development of youth livelihoods through technical and vocational education and training (TVET). However, the resolutions that emerged from these conferences have, in some areas, failed to be sufficiently acted upon. Therefore, it is up to young people themselves to take actions consistent with the commitment made by governments in these world conferences. To that end, a global movement called the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign has been created to work with all concerned stakeholders to implement the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations through its 70 YES Country Networks. This article discusses how implementation of TVET will benefit young people in various ways. This article also discusses the barriers in imparting TVET for sustainability values/education to young people. (Contains 3 notes.)