Mumbai : X Billion Skills Lab (XBLS), a leading 21st century skills development enterprise, has partnered with AT Skills Hub, a platform to bridge the gap between youth and the industry, and is set to introduce 21st century skills to lakhs of youth across Himachal Pradesh. To launch this initiative, a dialogue on “21st Century Skills: Your Key to Success” was hosted with participation from over 1 lakh youth from across the state. The keynote address was delivered by Honorable Cabinet Minister Shri Anurag Thakur in conversation with the CEO and Co-Founder of Dream Sports (Dream11) India’s first sports tech unicorn. Harsh Jain. The dialogue was hosted by Samyak Chakrabarty, Founder – X Billion Skills Lab, who is listed in Forbes Asia as one of the most influential young entrepreneurs.

In an environment where rote-tasks are gradually being automated and companies are chasing exponential growth, employers are now demanding smart generalists who can deliver outcomes outside of their technical or theoretical competence. Whether the candidate is a coder or an accountant – proficiency in skills such as creative problem solving, critical thinking, storytelling, entrepreneurship, collaboration and remote communication is becoming essential. In fact, the World Economic Forum ranks these amongst the top 10 job skills of the future and the Government of India’s new national education policy lays special emphasis on them.

On this occasion, Shri Anurag Thakur said, “There is a growing youth population in the state of Himachal today and I am keen to enable them with 21st century skills for them to be better equipped for the dynamic and evolving digitised workplace. Keeping this in mind I am looking forward to seeing AT Skills Hub and X Billion Skills Lab take their unique platform to the youth of Himachal and get them ready for the 21st century workplace. Under PM Sh. Narendra Modi’s leadership we will transform India into the world’s largest skilled workforce.”

In order to enable the youth in the state of Himachal Pradesh to succeed in the new world of work, XBSL & AT Skills Hub will offer access to a 21st century skills accelerator through a proprietary elearning  platform that will include animated modules, masterclasses with over 50 CEOs, psychometric assessments and even job access.

The Hon’ble Minister has been spearheading various noble initiatives aimed at the welfare of the society. Right from healthcare, skill development, sports engagement, exposure tours for the youth and many more such initiatives have been undertaken that have been very well received by the stakeholders.

Said Harsh Jain, “For today’s youth in a rapidly evolving workplace, it is essential to add soft skills like adaptability, persistence and collaboration to a strong academic foundation. An entrepreneurial mindset, digital savviness and ability to constantly experiment, fail and learn, are must-haves to be a part of the flourishing start-up ecosystem in India”

“As growing digitization and automation gradually takes up rote tasks performed by humans in the workplace, 21st century workplace skills are an opportunity for us to apply our creative and critical thinking abilities to innovate for India. We are excited to partner with AT Skills Hub to take this exposure to the far corners of India”, said Samyak Chakrabarty.