Amit Vasistha, Founder and CEO, MyGALF

Skilled youth can provide a number of benefits to the country and economy. They can help drive economic growth by filling in critical skills gaps, boosting productivity, and creating new businesses. This can help address social challenges such as poverty and unemployment.

Traditionally, from a human resources perspective, hiring managers look for KSAC (knowledge, skill, attitude, and common sense). Skill is an important element that hiring managers look for. We have seen over a period of years that while knowledge can be sourced from the internet and multiple sources, it is the skill that really plays a key role in terms of being readily employable. With the advent of AI and machine learning, the landscape is changing rapidly, and skills will continue to play a crucial role for youth. They can better support the growth of a country and economy with more current, relevant, and futuristic capabilities.

The skills in demand that youth need to learn today include:

1) Financial literacy: This includes understanding how money works and how to invest it wisely.

2) Automation, AI, and machine learning tools: Not everybody is a computer engineer or coder, but everyone today can become technologically informed and equipped to use the available tools to make themselves more productive and impactful

3) Selling skills: While technology is taking over practically every aspect of life, selling skills will never go out of business. Technology will only enable people to get better at selling.

One doesn't need to compete with technology but rather co-exist and use it to make ourselves more impactful, productive, and future ready. For example, they can use technology to automate tasks, learn new skills, and market themselves to potential employers.

It is important to remember that technology is not a threat to skilled youth. Instead, it is a tool that can be used to make them more productive and successful.