World Youth Skills Day 2023 Live Updates: Quotes, Wishes, significance

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.

Manju Balasubramanyam, Principal of Delhi Public School Bangalore North

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 personalised instruction. The urgent need to bring Universal Design for Learning into schools is also heightened by NEP 2020, which emphasizes personalised education. An organisation 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.

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

On this World Youth Skills Day, let us celebrate (and promise to leverage) 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. This is where immersive technologies can play an even bigger role. Virtual museums, virtual visits to monuments of national importance, and knowledge of India's struggle for independence through immersive learning will play a big role in making our youth more human and culturally sensitive. After all, we also want our future workforce to be good ambassadors of India.

Dr. Bharghava Rajaram, Professor, Mahindra University École Centrale School of Engineering

Empowering teachers and youth through skill development is crucial, as one paves the way while the other seizes opportunities, for a promising future. Our current need is an inclusive and interactive approach, fostering effective pathways and enabling educators to embrace modern technologies like AI, robotics, cloud computing, AR/VR in the classroom. According to the WEF report, there is an urgent call for a 'reskilling revolution,' estimating that 44% of workers will require updated skills to ensure long-term employability. The National Education Policy (NEP) emphasizes courses such as IoT, AI, Industry 4.0, robotics and automation, which contribute to shaping well-rounded individuals and equipping them with valuable skill sets in today's economy. Embracing this vision, Mahindra University has inculcated these aspects into its degree programs and is also introducing skill development and upskilling programs for both students and professionals, extending equal opportunities for all to secure highly sought-after jobs.

Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India

With the increasing use of geospatial technologies, like GIS in various sectors of the economy, career opportunities in GIS are growing. The Indian Geospatial Industry is projected to drive the generation of over 10 lakh jobs by 2025. We are moving fast toward a location-rich personalised future, and thus the need for inculcating geospatial thinking and skills in the youth is crucial for solving the complex problems of tomorrow. It is also necessary to reskill the existing workforce. Through our partnerships with academia, we are continuously equipping science, engineering, and technology students; youth, and mid-career professionals with geospatial knowledge and skills. These initiatives prepare them for careers that nurture innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of our surroundings.

Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India

The youth is the backbone of any nation in its economic and overall development of society, and the need for regular skill development for the next generation has become paramount for the growth of a country. New-age disruptive technologies such as AI, IoT, ML, and cloud computing have become the core of everything we do, and this momentum demands new digital skill sets. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025, escalating the need to upskill and reskill the employees. As organisations are gradually becoming digitally savvy, upskilling employees is crucial to avoid any gap between the skillsets available and the organisation’s needs.

At MediaTek, we believe in investing in local Indian talent and scaling capabilities to drive innovation for India and global markets through dedicated technical training sessions, e-learning platforms, and regular opportunities for upskilling. The process instills loyalty as a virtue while giving employees the confidence and motivation to move forward and deliver their best, enabling them to capitalise on the various opportunities while being adaptive to transformations.

Harshvendra Soin, Global Chief People Officer & Head – Marketing, Tech Mahindra

Today's youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are also the architects of innovation, progress, and change. By investing in their skills, we invest in the future of India, and this World Youth Skills Day is an excellent opportunity to recalibrate our efforts towards this initiative. In the current scenario, there is a need for the workforce to be future-ready and thus, the need to be a part of the reskilling revolution is imperative. The theme for this year is around skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future, and the sentiment echoes deeply within Tech Mahindra as we strive to RISE for a more equal and future-ready world, while creating value in everything we do.

At Tech Mahindra, we focus on youth skilling via major initiatives such as the Tech Mahindra Foundation Smart Centre, which offers free training and placement assistance to unemployed youth, in addition to creating reskilling and upskilling opportunities. As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day, let us take this opportunity to recognise the importance of skilling and supporting initiatives that bridge the gap between education and employability and commit to playing our part in empowering