Event "Skill Set 2020"

Have you ever been privileged to participate in any event held in E-Library of Government of the Punjab situated in Qaddafi Stadium Lahore? Let us have an imaginary visit being there. One day, the topic of the memorable event was ‘Skill Set 2020’. It was very interesting session for online earnings as well. Are you frustrated and have any kind of question to understand the future of employment opportunities globally? Hold on! The future of Pakistan is lying in skills development: soft and hard skills. The former is even more important to learn than the latter ones. We are an amazing nation that have a lot of potential, which is already acknowledged by the world. For example, we are among the top 4 countries of the world in freelancing.

The event was started by six specialists of hard skills on panel. The second part of the evening was more interesting that contained penal discussion of the seven participants, who were on the board to discuss soft skills required in 2020. Auditorium Hall of the E-Library was packed with more than 250 excited participants. It was a surprise to observe that the experts and the knowledge seekers — who signed up for the event —were mostly youngsters.

Hard skills experts on panel were freelancers, multimedia experts,social media experts, graphic designers, etc. They all discussed about the hard skills required to meet global challenges in 2020.

Pakistan is among the list of top 4 freelancers around the world. We are earning a lot of foreign exchange online. Youth is working to stable economy of Pakistan through online earnings which can decrease deficits created by our more imports than exports. Interestingly, host of the event Arena multimedia has expanded its business in more than 100 countries of the world. This forum is helping young generation of Pakistan to learn and earn online by offering short courses to unemployed population. Equally noteworthy is the news that Government of Pakistan is also taking initiatives like digiskills.pk, which is providing absolutely free such courses to enhance hard skills required in 2020. Unemployed people can also install an application named "E-learning point" in their devices to learn the skills for free link provided below.

The panel expressed their serious concerns towards attitude of the hard skills learners that we have to tell our youth about the responsibility of the job they need to show online instead of switching off their contacts. Satisfaction is a primary right of the client on the other side of the device. Our reputation in the client's mind is as much important as our countries dignity as a Pakistani. It's not just attractive dollar thing which you think and start working online, sitting in the home and enjoying your mood. In fact, it is a labor type of work which needs hard work. You need specialized skills set on the board to sell yourself online.

According to panelist Shahzoona khuram CEO sheprenteurz "you must know how to sell your skills along with your hard skills". According to ERP expert of the panel “a software engineer should have an ability to understand the process of the business too before developing a website or a software for that specific business”.

Then, the crowd was excited about soft skills panel which consisted of seven experts including Jabran Bashir Corporate Trainer and Human Development Activist, Haroon Ikram Motivational Trainer, Ali Abbass Trainer and Traveler, Sadaf Usman HR head PTCL, Asmat Zahra Educational Trainer, Rana Adeel Head of Apex Group of Colleges.

This part of the session was very excited and the way the moderator Shehzad Roshan Gelani hold the dice to ask questions from the panel, showed his Communication Skills very brilliantly. One could feel jealous of the skills he possessed in his very young age. He is PR specialist and co-founder of PCF - Pakistan Changers Forum - with Naveed Aslam Malik. I participated in the event as a member of the said organization of dear Naveed Aslam Malik, who is making difference in the lives of young generation of Pakistan through positive change in their life skills through this forum.

Following skills are required in 2020 from you as a learner from today's event which was organized by the efforts of three organizations (PCF, Arena Multimedia and Oranet) for the awareness of youth population of Pakistan.

Problem Solving skill

Critical Thinking skill

Creativity and Innovation skill

World Economic Forum has listed down top 10 future skills after a survey in 2016. Problem solving skill was on the top of the list. If you have learned the art of problem solving, then you don't have to face a fear of unemployment. An expert named Jabran Bashir explained that five years from now, 35% of job skills that are considered important in today's work force will have changed. The fourth industrial revolution will have brought us advanced in robotics and autonomous transport, artificial intelligence and machine learning. These developments will transform the way we work. Even, some jobs will disappear and the jobs that don't even exist today will take place. What is certain is that the work force in future will need to align its skillset to keep pace. Sadaf, HR head of PTCL, told that we welcome those employees to the organization who take our pain and solve the issues for us.

Team work skills

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Time Management skills

Hard work and commitment toward target skills

These are the skills that have been told by every motivational trainer and speakers most of the times, the same was discussed in the panel in the evening. Employees with these skills perform wonderful indeed but it's worth mentioning here some live performances of the skills in the panel. Ali bas traveler and trainer was sitting in the end of the row. When all other six experts of the panel were done with the speaking about skills, waiting at the end he just laughed at his own, telling the audience about his failed trick of being first in the row to talk about. "Pity for me, discussion was started from the other end. All the skills of my list have already been explained by others, so I quit," he showed his hand written list of skills to the audience and everybody laughed loudly. This was the first time since the session started in the evening when everybody got fully engaged and amused from the session the most. Sense of humor makes some unique in the panel other than the public speaking skills.

Sense of humor skills

Emotional Intelligence skills

LUMS has initiated a research on the partnership businesses in Lahore and they found a surprised result of these businesses. Almost 95% of the partnership ended within one year of their commencement. The reason of failure is simple to understand in the culture of our country; emotional intelligence skills are underrated in developing countries like Pakistan. We broke our relationship due to emotionally biased decisions. Panel concluded that the emotional intelligence skill is used not just to overcome one’s furious behavior, it is more likely helpful being in the healthy mindset to say what is meant to say in a specific situation and to build a relationship stronger than ever with the emotional intelligence skills. Emotional intelligence is predicted as one of the top skills needed by all in the future.

At the end of the event, although I left the hall with the excitement of learning new skills and commitment to write this experience after receiving my certificate from Sir Jabran Bashir and Ali Abbass, I was thinking about this industry of skill set religiously. We can produce better human beings and more skilled work force with the help of teachings of Islam and Al-Quran. One of the expert panelists today Rana Adeel, explained two skills "Sabar and Shukr " religiously and with the help of these two skills, he was able to set an example for the young generation in the form of Apex group of colleges.

Sabar (patient)

Shukr (Grateful)

Surah #103 Allah explains when you believe and act upon your believe in true sense, then be patient with the results of your actions.

Allah SWT ensures His companionship with the one who possesses skills of patience

If the results are in your favor and you become grateful for what you have and use your skills in the right way, then Allah promises to increase blessings more and more (If you are grateful, I will increase My blessings upon you.)

In the famous book “Kashaf-ul-Mehjoob of Hazarat Usman Hajvery (RA)”, he explains that all those people who show patience even poor are far better than those who show gratefulness even rich or more blessed. Because poor and patient one hold the companionship of Allah while the rich and grateful one has to be laborious with more and more abundance of blessings. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has also preferred being poor and patient instead of being in abundance of the worldly resources. After all, the life hereafter is the final destination to get rewards of your efforts.