World Youth Skills Day 2023 today; know why it is observed on July 15, theme this year

NEW DELHI: World Youth Skills Day is celebrated every year on July 15. Started in 2014, World Youth Skills Day seeks to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2023, as per the United Nations website, is skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future. The World Youth Skills Day 2023 theme highlights the essential role that teachers, trainers and other educators play in providing skills for youth to transition to the labour market and to actively engage in their communities and societies.

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Skilling, as per Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services, plays a pivotal role in unleashing the untapped potential of young individuals.

By acquiring pertinent skills, the CEO added, youth can significantly improve their employment prospects, adapt effectively to dynamic job markets, and contribute to overall economic growth. Moreover, skill development nurtures confidence, self-sufficiency, and a sense of purpose among young people, enabling them to navigate real-life challenges with ease and efficiency.

“In terms of desired skills, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and blockchain are increasingly sought-after in the age of digital technology. Automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence are transforming industries, creating new jobs while rendering some traditional roles obsolete,” he added.

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Saying that effective English language communication skills are core to youth empowerment as they look to communicate in a globalized world, John D’Souza, director, The English Advantage (TEA) in a statement said: “Youth today are seeking to improve their proficiency in English Language Skills. Candidates come to us to improve their command over English so that they can succeed in studies, or take classes for International Language examinations to study or work abroad, or maybe get promotions at work.”

“Exams like Cambridge C1 Advanced, TOEFL, Skills for English, Linguaskills, etc. help benchmark English Skills. I firmly believe that India’s youth have immense potential. It is only the lack of language skills that is holding back many a bright mind,” the director added.

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Manju Balasubramanyam, Principal of DPS North, Bengaluru in a statement said: “I believe that we can give our students a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy, socio-emotional learning, and ICT.”

To do this, the principal said: “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.”

“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,” Manav Subodh- Managing Director of 1M1B (One Million for One Billion) said.

Saying that the 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, Pearl Tiwari, CEO, Ambuja Foundation said: "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.. 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."

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Skills are not mere stepping stones to personal career growth, Pradeep Narayanan, President, NIIT Digital and Growth Initiatives, NIIT Limited said, adding that they are the very bedrock upon which nations rise and prosper.

On this World Youth Skills Day, the president said: "We at NIIT Ltd, would like to celebrate the role of skills in shaping our collective future. We believe in equipping our youth with the right skills to empower them to realize their potential, break barriers, and drive innovation. It is through skills that we can bridge the gap between education and employability, enabling young minds to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. Let us invest in our youth, nurture their talents, and build a skilled workforce that will shape the future of our nation."