Experts Quotes on World Youth Skills Day

1. Pearl Tiwari, CEO, Ambuja Foundation

In today’s time, Youth Skills Day is of significant importance, as equipping youth with skills for employment is the need of the hour to combat widespread unemployment and to address the widening industry-skill gap. As India has one of the largest workforces in the world, along with a demographic dividend, we must continue to skill and upskill our vast young population. Skill training is an important part of Ambuja Foundation’s social development program and we aim to continue supporting underprivileged youth in both rural and semi urban areas, to acquire the necessary skills needed to grasp viable employment opportunities and lift their families out of poverty!

2. Abhishek Ajmera, Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer, UNIVO

The success of a nation rests in the hands of its youth, and India's future shines bright with a staggering 65% of the population comprising young individuals.

UNIVO recognizes this potential and is dedicated to unlocking it through accessible and affordable online higher education. By offering a wide range of 60+ online degree programs from top-tier universities worldwide, UNIVO empowers the youth with sustainable learning outcomes and increased employability prospects.

3. Sarvesh Agrawal, CEO and Founder, Internshala

In today's professional era which is dynamically advancing with technology and has a cut-throat competition, it has become a necessity for young professionals and job aspirants to focus on their skill sets. Along with being digitally savvy, having future skills is quintessential to complement their degrees. Internshala is a huge advocate of skill building and experiential learning through in-demand skill training and internships to enable the students in becoming career ready. In fact, a standout change over the past couple of years has been the drift of young students and professionals towards e-learning for their skilling and upskilling needs. With advancing technology and the Covid outbreak, a major chunk of students and professionals are leveraging online training which has updated content, is affordable, and easily accessible. The education industry is also making use of video conferencing apps to connect with students when not able to conduct offline classes, using digital apps like YouTube and others.

4. Dr Adit Desai, Co-founder, DocTutorials

Reskilling and upskilling have become mandates in the corporate world. The changing dynamics of the startup landscape, with the introduction of disruptive technologies like AI and ML, along with the ever-evolving digital marketing space and increased cyber threats, have compelled both large and small companies to seek professionals equipped with the necessary skills to overcome these challenges. This has led to a significant reorganisation in the HR sector worldwide, making reskilling imperative for the workforce. Once seen as luxuries or leisure pursuits, executive education and upskilling have now become almost prerequisites for securing employment. Additionally, this change has given teachers and trainers specialising in these abilities a significant opportunity to be acknowledged for their expertise, which was previously taken for granted. It is an incredibly exciting space, and the next five years will favour those who dedicate sufficient time to learning and successfully applying these skills."

5. Himmat Singh Dhillon, Headmaster, The Lawrence School, Sanawar

The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2023 is Skilling teachers, trainers, and youth for a transformative future. Join the Community of Learners at The Lawrence School, Sanawar this World Youth Skills Day, as we unite with the global community to acknowledge the potential of young people to be catalysts for change and make a commitment to providing them with the skills and opportunities they need to build a prosperous and sustainable world for all. Together, we can shape a brighter future where no young person is left behind. Let us be the change.

6. Priyanka Gupta, Managing Director at Sahaji Sofware

"While new technology like Generative AI has triggered a wave of transformative change across industries, it has also sparked a panic among many young professionals in the tech space. As Eric Hoffer astutely observed, 'In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.'

Instead of giving into this panic, today's youth should instead pause and assess the shifting skill landscape and opportunities it presents for the future of work. It is crucial to recognize the timeless nature of foundational knowledge, which serves as the bedrock upon which concrete concepts are built. Developing a solid understanding of these fundamentals is essential for staying resilient in the face of change.

7. Hari Krishnan Nair, Co-founder of Great Learning

"India has the opportunity of becoming the biggest economy in the world by leveraging its large youth population. But this cannot be achieved without well-structured and continuous skill development. By equipping the youth with the right skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape, we enable a generation of professionals who are ready to shape the future of India. Today, skilling is not only acknowledged but also being prioritised by employers over degrees and diplomas. Remarkably, 70% of the companies hiring candidates from Great Learning prefer skills over degrees. As per Great Learning's Upskilling Trends report for 2023, 83% of Indian professionals intend to upskill in the current year itself. These statistics point to a skilling revolution taking flight.

8. Manav Subodh- Managing Director of 1M1B (One Million for One Billion)

“On this World Youth Skills Day, lets celebrate the power of future technologies, like AI, AR, and VR, in making education and skilling more immersive, human, and culturally centric. These technologies can enable our youth to have virtual workplaces and job experiences so that they can start developing real-world skills at an early age. Imagine students getting a virtual tour of a factory floor and learning how various departments function. Imagine learning critical skills for the manufacturing sector, like welding, painting, soldering, and firefighting, in the comfort of skill labs. Beyond skilling, as India becomes the skill capital of the world, it's also important to impart values like ethics, integrity, a code of conduct, and even knowledge of Indian culture and heritage in our skilling programs.

9. Manju Balasubramanyam, Principal of DPS North, Bengaluru

I believe that we can give our students a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy, Socio-emotional learning, and ICT.

To do this, teachers must reskill themselves with emerging tech tools to teach how children learn. While teachers across the world demonstrated that they could embrace technology effectively during the pandemic, they will have to continuously Upskill and reskill to use technology to create inclusive classrooms where every child's needs are met through personalized instruction. The urgent need to bring Universal Design for Learning into schools is also heightened by NEP 2020, which emphasizes personalized education. An organization like 1M1B is training and skilling our teachers and youth with the tools of technology and preparing them for the future of work.

For the digital native students, guidance and focus will be needed to steer them to use and skill themselves with tools for the future of work and use tech to build an equitable, inclusive, and just world. In my opinion, technology will enable both the teacher and the student to constantly re skill and upskill at their own pace."

10. Ilesh Ghevariya, CEO and Founder of French Crown- Fast Fashion D2C company

Every industry thrives on constant evolution. This is why we believe in empowering the next generation of talent, the youth as their fresh perspectives and digital fluency drive our brand forward. As we commemorate World Youth Skills Day, I am humbled and inspired by the incredible potential that lies within our young workforce. With 97% of our office staff and 50% of our factory staff below the age of 25, we have witnessed firsthand the remarkable energy and innovation they bring to the fast-paced world of fashion e-commerce. Furthermore, we are proud to see a significant rise in the number of young women joining our workforce, with 60% of our staff comprising talented and ambitious women. By leveraging the inherent strengths of our diverse team, we are redefining traditional gender roles in the workplace and breaking down barriers. On this special day, let us all enforce and enhance the skills and passion of the youth that will shape the future of each and every industry globally via innovation towards propelling a more dynamic marketplace for India.