Pearson recently participated in an extraordinary week at the One Young World summit in Manchester, England, to support the announcement of our new partnership with this impressive organisation - the 'One Young World Academy Powered By Pearson'.
One Young World identifies, connects and promotes young leaders, giving them a global platform culminating in their annual summit. We were privileged to join the 2,000 changemakers from around the world, who were a true reminder of the power each of us has to make a difference. The summit kicked off with an inspirational ceremony and addresses from influential political, business and humanitarian leaders including Dr Muhammed Yunus, Sir Bob Geldolf and Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland & Chair of the Elders, who posed the question, “What if the best world was ahead of us?”
Then the young delegates from over 190 countries shared their amazing stories of achievement in the face of real personal, political, and environmental challenges. I was particularly inspired by Dr Juliana Busasi, the 27-year-old Founder and Executive Director Tanzania Health and Medical Education Foundation who, in addition to working as a medical doctor, is working to solve inequalities in healthcare in her country. Their perseverance is palpable. These young leaders do not take no for an answer.
It is for that reason we are thrilled to have announced the launch of One Young World Academy Powered by Pearson, an online learning platform to help empower future young leaders across the global workforce to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our world – focusing on environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society. The Academy's courses bring together the expertise, energy, enthusiasm and practical know-how from the incredible annual summit to create a new, rich and meaningful, learning experience. Pearson’s innovative course design and Skills Accelerator technology platform, combined with the vision and expertise of One Young World’s Community of world leaders, will support this new generation to thrive in their careers and accelerate the impact they can have on key global issues.
Starting in early 2023, employers can subscribe to the Academy on behalf of their employees or choose to sponsor learners outside their organisation. Beyond making a real work impact, learners who complete a course will also receive a recognised credential badge from Credly, anchored in the blockchain, which they can add to their LinkedIn profiles and online CVs. The first phase of the Academy will see learners offered three courses, focusing on: Tackling Climate Change, Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Diversity and Inclusion.
Pearson colleagues at the summit to help launch the partnership: Sandra Latner, Sadhana Bhide, Els Howard, Laurel Chamberlain, Dave Burrows and Billy Grieco.
As a learning company, creating a more sustainable world must be woven into everything we do. Learning itself is the greatest force for change in our world and helping people gain knowledge and skills is, inherently, a pathway to improving our planet and our society.
Learning doesn’t just happen at school or college - it’s a lifelong journey. At Pearson we want to ensure people at any stage of their careers are equipped with the best possible skills to excel in life and in work. The One Young World Academy has an important role to play in equipping future leaders with the skills they need.
Mike Howells, Pearson Workforce Skills President and David Jones, One Young World Co-Founder
Els Howard is the VP of Enterprise & Institution Research and Innovation and leads the Employer Partnership for Learning within the Workforce Skills division of Pearson, where her focus is bringing the outside world into our thinking and helping inform us to develop products and services fit for purpose. Els is particularly interested in the increasing role of technology in providing access to education and lifelong learning including how it can innovate what we learn and how we learn.