Youth Day 2025: Equipping the next generation with skills for a changing world

A shifting skills landscape

The global economy is undergoing rapid transformation. Technological innovation, automation, and digital disruption are reshaping industries and altering the types of skills that are in demand. For young South Africans, this presents both opportunities and challenges. Foundational education remains essential, but it is no longer sufficient on its own.

What’s increasingly needed is a combination of technical proficiency, digital literacy, critical thinking, adaptability, and an entrepreneurial mindset – competencies that empower youth not just to seek jobs but to create value in diverse ways across the economy.

The role of alternative education

Traditional education systems are often slow to adapt. That’s why alternative learning models, such as online and home education, are gaining ground. These models allow for greater flexibility, personalisation, and exposure to a wider range of skills – including those that are increasingly relevant in the digital and knowledge economies.

For example, many distance education learners today are using online platforms to access coding, digital design, and business modules alongside their CAPS-aligned subjects. This integration of traditional and future-facing content ensures learners are not just academically prepared, but also economically relevant.

Empowering learners where they are

At Impaq, we see first-hand how personalised learning journeys can empower young people. Whether it's learners in remote areas accessing education through online classes, or young entrepreneurs using flexible timetables to balance schooling and business ventures, the ability to adapt education to real-life contexts is vital.

“Equipping youth for meaningful participation in the economy means preparing them for more than exams. It’s about cultivating curiosity, resilience, and the ability to learn continuously in a changing world,” says Louise Schoonwinkel, MD of Optimi Schooling, of which Impaq is a registered trademark.

Skills that matter most

In line with this year’s theme, we believe several key areas should be prioritised in youth education:

• Digital literacy and Stem skills
  
• Problem-solving and creativity
  
• Communication and collaboration
  
• Entrepreneurship and financial literacy
  
• Emotional intelligence and adaptability

These are the skills that will shape individual futures, as well as the broader economic potential of South Africa.

“Youth empowerment begins with access to quality education, but it must also include opportunities to explore, create, and lead. As a country, we need to invest in systems that make this possible – across all communities,” Schoonwinkel concludes.