As a member of the UNESCO/UNEVOC, the National Skills University Islamabad, with partner institutions SZABIST Islamabad, Technology Times, and Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD), celebrated WYSD2022. In this regard, an international hybrid event was organized on July 15, in which students, technologists, scholars, industrialists, and youth, in general, participated from across the country.
The United Nations General Assembly approved the celebration of this day in 2014. The primary reason for observing this day is to create awareness, celebrate ongoing successes, and highlight the ever-increasing strategic importance of providing youth with necessary skills aligning with contemporary technological advancements. Moreover, educational institutions and other organizations must show their readiness to equip youth with workplace skills and inculcate professional work ethics, the most critical characteristics sought by employers. This day also highlights the importance of preparing youth with entrepreneurial skills to be job providers rather than job seekers.
The WYSD2022 theme is “Transforming Youth Skills for the Future.” The keynote speakers of this event were Prof. Dr. Hwyda Arafat, from Drexel University College of Medicine, USA; Prof. Dr. Javed Iqbal, Laparoscopic Surgeon, Scholar, and motivational speaker; Muhammad Arshad, President Bay, and River College, Calgary, Canada, Ms. Khadija Hassan, Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Desing, Dr. Wajid Zulqarnain, Associate Professor, SZABIST, and Mr. Sayyed Paras Ali, Technology Times.
The speakers talked about trends in digital skills, facts about soft skills, and the importance of youth involvement in skill education. Further, they encouraged the youth to get involved in technical education. At this event, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Vice Chancellor NSU, stressed that the future belongs to technical and vocational skills. However, one should be well versed in digital, generic, and soft skills. He advised the students to get ready to unlearn the obsolete and relearn the new technologies. He also thanked the participants and speakers for joining the event and making it successful.
