Preparing Youth for the Workforce of tomorrow

This year, Intel Corporation celebrates its 50^th anniversary, and over that time period computing technology has changed billions of lives.

As technology continues to transform the way we live, work, and play, these shifts have resulted in new challenges and opportunities for future generations. At the Intel Foundation, we are committed to empowering young people. We invest in STEM-focused training programs that help youth develop the skills they will need to improve their lives, and in turn, allow youth to be leaders and innovators in their communities.

We have thought a lot about what skills will be required for the next generation to access the jobs of tomorrow. Technical skills are vital to workforce readiness, along with “power skills” that enable individuals to use their technical acumen effectively in their interactions with others. There are 1.8 billion youth today (a quarter of the world’s population), and I believe that we must take action across sectors to create a future that is both inclusive and sustainable.

Recently, Intel collaborated with the Global Business Coalition for Education on the Youth Skills and Innovation Initiative. The initiative is led by a high-level commission that looked closely at this issue in a new report produced by GBC-Education and Deloitte Worldwide. The report is rich with data and provides the top recommendations for the business community from a unique coalition of businesses and NGOs. I want to congratulate our partners on this achievement and encourage others to read it and take action.

We know that no company will solve this challenge alone, but what we can do is invest in long-term solutions that create systemic change. With this goal in mind, Intel created the Future Skills program, an innovation curriculum targeting underserved youth. Our experience implementing this program in seven US states, Germany, India and Mexico has taught us the importance of combining technical skills and “power skills” with hands-on experiences.

Collaboration and sharing best practices are both critical. Intel is proud to be a part of GBC Education and Deloitte’s effort to share what we know about empowering youth, and where further progress is needed. I look forward to seeing more creative approaches to allowing young people to fully participate in the global economy.