Youth skills initiative to help young people be ready for jobs of the future

Here are some scary thoughts for you. 

By the year 2030, half of the world’s young people will not have the basic skills they need to get a job. And two billion jobs will be at risk of becoming obsolete because of advances in technology.

In the next decade, four million jobs just in the United Kingdom could be replaced by robots, according to business leaders.

So where does that leave a whole generation? In big trouble – unless action is taken quickly and decisively.

A new Youth Skills and Innovation Initiative has been launched today to help those young people be ready for the jobs of the future.

It brings together youth, industry leaders and experts to create solutions and take action to support the development of “new basic skills” needed by the next generation of innovators, makers and entrepreneurs. 

It will also aim to bridge the current gap between business and young people.

The initiative has been established by Intel Corporation and the Global Business Coalition for Education. It includes a new youth skills commission co-chaired by Rosalind Hudnell, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Intel Corporation and President of the Intel Foundation; and Sarah Brown, Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education.

Commissioners include World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and a range of other leading figures.

“It is critical that the business community proactively works with young people to foster the innovation, entrepreneurship and technology skills needed for the jobs of the tomorrow,” said Rosalind Hudnell.

Sarah Brown said: “The challenge today is that there are few spaces where the business leaders are working directly with young people to create new skills and innovations that will be adopted by the next generation. 

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“With almost two billion jobs at risk of disappearing due to technological advancement, only by working together to support the ‘next generation of thinking, partnership and youth will we collectively overcome the obstacles facing today’s young people’.”
  

The commission will be informed by a new youth network comprised of several dozen leading youth organisations and a youth council of young change makers. 

It will focus particularly on the most marginalised communities and aim to bridge the current divide between business needs and the skills and experience of young people.

The initiative will begin work this year and aim to engage in research with partners throughout 2018 – releasing its recommendations and inspiring action and change by next September.

Here is who will sit on the commission (pictured left to right).

Sarah Brown (co-chair), Executive Director, Global Business Coalition for Education; Rosalind Hudnell (co-chair), Vice President Corporate Affairs, Intel President, Intel Foundation; Asheesh Advani, CEO & President, JA Worldwide; Adeyemi Babington-Ashaye, Head, Global Shapers Community at World Economic Forum.

Jose-Manuel Barroso, Non-Executive Chairman of Goldman Sachs International (GSI), Former President, European Commission; Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO; Fred Dedrick, President and CEO, National Workforce Solutions; Danielle Foster, Senior Director of CSR, Hilton.

Kristalina Georgieva, CEO, World Bank; Lord Michael Hastings, International Head of Corporate Citizenship, KPMG International; Nate Hurst, Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer, HP; Tracy Lovatt, CEO, Batten and Co.

Tim Nourse, President, Making Cents International; Janet M. Riccio, Dean, Omnicom University, Executive Vice President, Omnicom Group; Josette Sheeran, President and CEO, Asia Society.