On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day 2022,Wadhwani Foundation calls for empowering the youth with ‘Skills for the Future’.
is essential to prepare the youth for a rapidly changing world of work
Wadhwani Foundation and its skills-led initiative, Wadhwani
Opportunity, share key skilling trends to ensure success in a
futuristic work environment
India, 14 th July 2022 – Celebrated on July 15 th every year since 2014, when the United
Nations instituted World Youth Skills Day (WYSD); the theme for 2022 is “Transforming
Youth Skills for the Future.” WYSD highlights the vital need to equip young people with
future-ready skills, making them employment ready.
With rapid technological advances and evolving socio-economic trends in the backdrop of
the COVID pandemic, job roles are changing at a pace and depth that has rendered an
estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide affected by a skills mismatch. Therefore, the skills
ecosystem requires skilling, reskilling and upskilling of massive proportions. As per
McKinsey, 25 percent more workers than previously estimated will potentially need to
switch occupations due to the pandemic.
Speaking on the occasion of WYSD, Dr Ajay Kela, President, and CEO, of Wadhwani
Foundation, said, “Digital transformation of businesses, accelerated by COVID, is opening
large volumes of high-paying job opportunities for global youth. Skills required to command
these digital jobs can be acquired through numerous short-term training programs, and
increasingly, employers are valuing such skills over academic credentials. On World Youth
Skills Day 2022, I encourage the youth to capitalize on these opportunities through self-
paced online re/upskilling programs, thus improving their job prospects and empowering
themselves to become continuous learners for in-demand skills and jobs.”
On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, Wadhwani Foundation and its skills-led initiative,
Wadhwani Opportunity, share details on eight key emerging trends that will reshape the
Indian skills ecosystem in times to come.
Further explaining the changing paradigm in skilling, Sunil Dahiya, Executive Vice President,
Wadhwani Opportunity, added, “Covid-19 has effected fundamental changes at the
workplace that demand future-proof skilling for future-ready jobs largely driven by
advancing technologies and automation. However, along with the increasing importance of
technological skills, the need for soft or employability skills has also surged. While smart
machines are taking care of the repetitive and cognitive jobs, there is increasing realisation
of how teams equipped with social-emotional skills possess a definite competitive
advantage. Wadhwani Opportunity is, therefore, focused on imparting both deep domain
and soft/employability skills to equip the youth towards family-sustaining jobs.”
About Wadhwani Foundation
Wadhwani Foundation was founded in 2000 by Dr Romesh Wadhwani with the primary mission of accelerating
job creation in India and other emerging economies through large-scale initiatives in entrepreneurship, small
business growth, innovation, and skilling. The Wadhwani Foundation operates in multiple countries across
South East Asia, East Africa, Southern Africa, Egypt, and Latin America and works in partnership with
governments, foundations, corporations, and educational institutes. For more details on Wadhwani
Foundation, please visit https://www.wfglobal.org/
