Davos, Jan 23 : The World Economic Forum on Friday announced a major global initiative to invest in skill development that will reach more than 850 million people.
It also announced the launch of new skills and education accelerators in India and Jordan, strengthening a global network of 45 national accelerators that have collectively supported 14.8 million people.
These accelerators bring together government, business and civil society to translate global insights into country-specific actions on employment, skills development and inclusive economic growth.
The India Accelerator will focus on addressing barriers to equitable skilling, while the Jordan Accelerator will work to leverage emerging technology to improve education quality.
The WEF said its Reskilling Revolution initiative is on track to reach more than 850 million people worldwide, nearing its target of equipping 1 billion people with better access to skills, education and economic opportunities.
As artificial intelligence, geoeconomic shifts and the energy transition rapidly reshape global labour markets, preparing workers for the economy of tomorrow is an urgent global priority.
The new commitments span corporate pledges, university-employer partnerships and national skills accelerators focused on redesigning how people enter the workforce, transition between jobs and remain employable in an economy increasingly shaped by AI, the WEF said.
Among the Reskilling Revolution commitments, more than 25 technology companies have pledged to support 120 million workers with AI access, skills training and job pathways.
“The global economy is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. But the future of work is not fixed. How it unfolds for workers depends on opportunities for learning, support for job transitions and backing for entrepreneurship,” WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi said.
“Today’s announcements represent decisive action – mobilising education providers, employers and governments to ensure the future of work delivers opportunity for all,” she added.
The initiative works with 79 economies and 18 industries and is supported by more than 350 organisations and over 35 CEOs.
New commitments have come from companies such as Adobe, Cornerstone OnDemand, Cisco, JD.com, SAP, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Wipro and Workday.
Across all Reskilling Revolution commitments, the majority focus on AI and digital skills, emphasize human-centric capabilities and prioritize entry-level roles most vulnerable to disruption.
New research developed with PwC and surveying 9,000 entry-level workers in 48 countries revealed widespread uncertainty about skills relevance and job security as AI reshapes traditional career entry points, the WEF said.
To address this, the WEF launched a Learning-to-Earning Sandbox connecting universities, employers and governments to pilot models integrating paid work experience with skills development.
During the Annual Meeting 2026, nine platform economy companies launched shared principles for responsible platform-enabled work, addressing access to opportunity, earnings and benefits, and safe working conditions. (PTI)
