World Youth Skills Day: How Parami is contributing to "Skills for a Shared Future"

Observed annually on July 15, World Youth Skills Day highlights the importance of equipping young people with the technical, vocational, and digital skills needed to address global employment challenges, adapt to an evolving workforce, and contribute to sustainable development. This year’s theme, “Skills for a Shared Future,” raises an important question: What will it take to equip every young person with the competencies they need to thrive in a shared future?

Why Skills Matter

The world of work is evolving rapidly. Advances in technology, artificial intelligence, automation, and digital transformation are reshaping industries and the skills employers value. Today’s graduates need more than technical expertise—they must think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate across cultures, solve problems, and adapt to change.

Lifelong learning and transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, digital literacy, leadership, and adaptability are essential for navigating changing career paths and contributing meaningfully to society.

Preparing students for the future requires more than academic knowledge—it requires opportunities to build practical skills, explore career pathways, and gain confidence. Through the Parami University Career Development Center (PUCDC), students receive support in developing career readiness skills and preparing for an evolving workforce.

“Career readiness goes beyond securing a job; it is about developing the confidence, curiosity, and transferable skills that enable students to create meaningful impact wherever their careers take them.” ―Parami University Career Development Center

PUCDC team added that preparing students for the future means helping them become lifelong learners who can adapt, collaborate, and lead in a rapidly changing world. The team supports students by connecting them with employers, mentors, internships, and professional development opportunities that provide real-world experience and help them build professional networks. Through these experiences, students better understand their strengths and how they can contribute to the communities and industries they hope to serve. In an evolving world, the ability to learn, adapt, and work with others remains one of the most valuable skills graduates can develop.

How Parami Develops Future-Ready Skills

A liberal arts education equips students with more than disciplinary knowledge—it develops critical thinking, curiosity, independent learning, and the ability to adapt to a changing world. It encourages students to connect ideas, understand diverse perspectives, and continue learning beyond university.

At a webinar for prospective students, President Dr. Kyaw Moe Tun emphasized this focus on lifelong learning, saying, “We’re instilling in you a habit of self-learning that will continue long after these four years. Lifelong learning is a habit that we’re nurturing in every student.”

At Parami University, learning extends beyond the classroom. Through experiential learning, service learning, research, internships, student leadership, and community engagement, students apply their knowledge to real-world challenges while developing practical skills in communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership.

Since 2023, Parami students have participated in more than 16 international learning opportunities, including programs in the United States, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Europe, Bangladesh, Colombia, and Kenya. These experiences have broadened students’ global perspectives while strengthening intercultural competence, leadership, and collaboration.

Global exposure is most meaningful when it leads to action. At Parami, students connect their cross-cultural experiences with a commitment to serving their communities. By combining global perspectives with local engagement, they develop the empathy, responsibility, and skills needed to create meaningful impact.

Service learning is a cornerstone of the Parami experience, connecting academic learning with meaningful community engagement. Through these experiences, students develop the skills and values needed to create positive social impact.

In 2025, 55 students partnered with 31 organizations across six sectors in Myanmar and Thailand to address real community needs. These projects strengthened students’ critical thinking, communication, collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving skills while fostering empathy, adaptability, and civic responsibility.

At Parami, leadership is about taking initiative, working with others, and creating meaningful change. Through service learning and other experiential opportunities, students build the confidence and resilience to navigate challenges and contribute to their communities. These experiences reflect how skills development prepares young people for lifelong learning, leadership, and active citizenship.

Skills in Action

Skills are best understood through the people who put them into practice. The following student and alumni stories highlight how learning at Parami extends beyond the classroom, demonstrating how critical thinking, leadership, adaptability, and a commitment to service empower individuals to overcome challenges, pursue opportunities, and create meaningful impact in their communities and careers.

Pone Nyet Aung, a recent graduate from Parami University, reflected that "Parami didn't just teach me what's in the textbooks. It taught me through the harder moments, internships where I had to figure things out myself, community work that didn't always go smoothly, projects that forced me to lead even when I felt unsure. Four years later, I can't point to a single class where I 'learned' critical thinking or adaptability. Those skills don't come with a grade attached, but they're the ones I carry with me now, into whatever comes next.”