At Vodafone we are optimistic about the future and what it brings, as technological innovations begin to have a profound and positive impact in our lives. Recently, we commissioned a survey among almost 13,000 people in 14 countries, including Greece, which assessed the extent to which the public are optimistic about their future prospects. And we found that there is optimism, particularly among 18-24 year olds, who in their majority (62%) believe that living standards will be better in 20 years compared with today.
This is an interesting finding considering that youth are challenged today, in Europe and the world, with unemployment and even poverty. At the same time, the skills gap in what is increasingly a digital economy is growing. In fact, the European Commission estimates that around 500,000 digital jobs across the European Union will remain unfilled by 2020. Considering unemployment levels around Europe, this seems like a modern paradox.
Lack of specialized skills and knowledge impedes social and entrepreneurial growth. The majority of the students that enter school today will have jobs that do not yet exist. We therefore have a greater responsibility today to prepare them with the right skills they need for tomorrow.At Vodafone we are certain that, thanks to the evolution of technology and science, the future will be exciting. However, no future can be exciting without young people participating fully and decisively. So, career guidance for the digital economy is crucial. And we’re embarking on an ambitious initiative to this direction.The results of a recent public opinion survey that we commissioned reveal that despite being the first digital generation, in their vast majority young adults believe that they are not adequately equipped to participate in the digital economy. More than half of the respondents believe that the greatest struggle for their generation is to find any kind of well-paid permanent job, and almost a quarter appear to have lost all confidence, worrying that they lack the skills to take on any role.To address this challenge, Vodafone has launched an international future jobs programme - “What will you be?” - to provide career guidance and access to training content in the digital economy for up to 10 million young people across 18 countries. This initiative is the largest of its kind in the world. At the same time, Vodafone announced it will expand its existing graduate, apprenticeship, internship and work experience schemes worldwide to reach a total of up to 100,000 young people by 2022.We’ve worked with specialists and we have developed a smartphone-based service - called the Future Jobs Finder (https://futurejobsfinder.vodafone.com/) - that offers young people a simple gateway to new skills and opportunities for employment in the digital economy. Through a series of quick psychometric tests, individuals who will use this app will be directed to specific job opportunities that match their talents. The future will not be exciting or prosperous if young people are excluded from employment. Across all industries digitization will be an accelerating procedure that will disrupt traditional ways and methods.Being young should be about dreaming and being confident you can be someone who can make a difference. The possibilities that are emerging are huge. At Vodafone we want to inspire young people to turn the exciting future we envision into reality. Vodafone invites you to find the best one for you.So, what will you be?