This article is part of:Centre for the New Economy and Society

• To close the growing digital skills gap, AI and digital literacy must be embedded into education systems early, not just introduced in the workplace.
• Technical skills – e.g. data literacy and cybersecurity – are important but human power skills, such as curiosity, adaptability, leadership and continuous learning, are equally essential.
• The true success of AI education is about how confidently and frequently individuals apply AI, share knowledge and drive innovation.

Today, 450 million young people – seven out of 10 – are economically disengaged due to a lack of adequate skills to succeed in the labour market. Nearly half of students feel unprepared for an AI-enabled workplace and 58% report insufficient AI knowledge.

This widening skills gap threatens to leave many young people behind as the world of work evolves. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, AI will transform operations for nearly 90% of businesses by 2030 – yet many still underestimate the pace of employee adoption.

The growing integration of AI is driving demand for digital skills - particularly in big data, cybersecurity and technological literacy. Since AI tools are only as effective as the people using them, talent development is essential.

Employers are investing in reskilling and upskilling but skill-building must start early. The Forum’s report, Shaping the Future of Learning: The Role of AI in Education, stresses the need to embed AI literacy into education to build a foundation of competencies that will empower young people to engage critically, creatively and ethically with AI.

Have you read?

• The Future of Jobs Report 2025

Global initiatives such as TeachAI call for updated policies, standards, curriculum, pedagogy, tools and assessments to prepare students for an age of AI.

Supporting this, the draft AI Literacy Framework – released by the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, with support from Code.org – outlines four key domains: engaging with, creating with, managing and designing AI.

World Youth Skills Day is a reminder of the strategic importance of equipping young people with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

Learning leaders, Simon Brown (chief learning officer at EY), Jo O’Driscoll-Kearney (VP, Group Leadership and Learning at Majid Al Futtaim) and Pat Yongpradit (chief academic officer at Code.org and TeachAI lead) emphasise the need to develop a blend of digital and human-centric skills to thrive in an AI-driven economy and offer strategies for developing them.

Staying relevant in an AI-driven economy

To stay relevant in a rapidly changing, AI-driven world, both human and digital skills must be developed.

Simon Brown

Brown emphasizes the lasting value of human-centric skills such as curiosity, tenacity, experimentation, entrepreneurism, continuous learning and leadership – what he calls “power skills.”

While technical skills will evolve rapidly, these enduring human capabilities will remain essential.

Pat Yongpradit

Yongpradit also emphasises the importance of these skills for both young people and adults, noting that as AI becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, individuals must learn how to effectively delegate tasks to AI systems to automate or augment human workflows and collect and curate relevant data for model training.

Jo O’Driscoll-Kearney

For O’Driscoll-Kearney, staying relevant means taking personal responsibility for continuous learning and building digital fluency. A strong grasp of AI fundamentals, its capabilities, limitations and ethical dimensions, is essential for anyone who wants to work effectively with these tools.

Working effectively with AI tools

While developing the right mix of skills is essential, the ability to apply them in real-world contexts – whether in classrooms or workplace – is what truly drives impact.

Pat Yongpradit

Yongpradit emphasises that building strong foundations for AI literacy must begin with educators. By actively exploring AI tools and sharing their experiences with peers, educators move beyond theory to practical understanding, better equipping them to guide students in using AI effectively.

"To ensure that students can work effectively with AI tools, teachers and education leaders must develop their own AI literacy." — Pat Yongpradit, Chief Academic Officer, Code.org | TeachAI lead

Jo O’Driscoll-Kearney

In the workplace, O’Driscoll-Kearney notes the value of embedding AI learning into real business problems. It is not just about building technical skills but about fostering a culture of digital confidence and continuous experimentation.

Offering employees flexible learning opportunities – via simulations, immersive start-up tours or bite-sized WhatsApp nudges – helps build internal capability faster than traditional programmes.

"We approach AI capability not as a course, but as a culture… That’s where real learning ownership drives change."— Jo O’Driscoll-Kearney, Vice President Group Leadership and Learning, Majid Al Futtaim

Simon Brown

Brown underscores the importance of adaptability and agility. Learning by doing, segmenting audiences by need, customizing for specific roles and teams, and rapidly updating resources ensures relevance and meets both individual and local needs.

Increasingly, AI is being embedded into the learning process itself, empowering learners to leverage the technology at every stage.

"Some learning for AI can be generic and for all, but we are seeing that it is often most effective when it is adapted for individual situations or use-cases."— Simon Brown, Chief Learning Officer, EY

Measuring success beyond certificates

Pat Yongpradit

In defining what effective learning looks like, Yongpradit points out that while AI can bring time-saving benefits, student well-being and academic outcomes are the real measures of success.

Moreover, governments, educators and industry should collaborate to establish standardized, portable and transparent credentialing systems that recognize traditional and real-world skills. Such credentials not only validate learning but also help individuals confidently navigate an evolving job market.

Jo O’Driscoll-Kearney

O’Driscoll-Kearney adds that developing digital skills is about changing mindsets and building confidence. Success isn’t measured by completion rates alone but by how deeply AI is embedded in daily work and how often employees experiment, collaborate and innovate.

Tracking not just participation in learning opportunities but also confidence in using AI, knowledge sharing and impact on outcomes such as decision-making and problem-solving is key. Regular pulse checks on digital confidence and adaptability help foster a culture of continuous, personalized growth.

Simon Brown

Brown reinforces the need for continuous experimentation and using a variety of metrics to guide learning strategies and measure impact. The journey is ongoing, with everyone still learning how to achieve the best outcomes and drive true impact with AI.

Have you read?

• Why we must bridge the skills gap to harness the power of AI
• This is how businesses should approach reskilling for AI
• Surfing the future: why education needs to embrace AI, soft skills and self-awareness 

A call to action to empower people of all ages

As AI adoption continues to rise, education systems, governments and businesses must invest in skilling, AI and technological literacy, and talent development to remain competitive in an increasingly digital world. Success depends on a mindset of continuous learning, curiosity and adaptability.

On this World Youth Skills Day, we urge not only young people but also business and government leaders to ask: are we ready for the AI revolution? The future of work is being shaped today by the skills we develop, the mindsets we foster and the equitable opportunities that leaders and policymakers create to empower the next generation to thrive.

This means embedding AI literacy into national curricula, expanding access to quality digital infrastructure, supporting teachers with up-to-date tools and training, and funding inclusive skilling programmes that reach underserved youth.