Wouter van Tol is Corporate Citizenship Director for Samsung Electronics in Europe. In this capacity he leads Samsung’s efforts on youth employment and digital skills in Europe. Between 2013 and 2019 the programme will directly benefit more than 400,000 young people across 32 European countries, and it forms Samsung’s contribution to the European Commission’s Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs.

Before joining Samsung, Wouter worked in Sustainability and commercial roles at Nestlé and P&G. He holds a postgraduate certificate in Sustainable Business from University of Cambridge, and an MA from the University of Twente in his native country of the Netherlands.

Plenary lecture: "Expect the Unexpected: Preparing Young People for an Uncertain Future"

The world is changing faster and faster. Europe faces a paradox: 25% youth unemployment whilst there are also 900,000 vacancies for ICT professionals. This is partially explained by a “digital skills gap”: many young people finish education without the skills that employers are looking for. And it is an oft-quoted fact that many of the jobs of tomorrow don’t exist today.

So how can we prepare young people for a future which will involve a huge rate of change, and for a job that doesn’t exist yet?

This speaking slot will reveal what Samsung does, together with many partners, to address the issue. We know technology alone is not a panacea. Great technology needs great content and great teacher training to live up to its potential. Business needs to work much more closely with Education institutions to build mutual understanding and trust. And preparing young people requires for a fast-changing, technologically driven world requires more than promoting STEM and coding skills.