Cosmo Foundation Celebrates World Youth Skills Day with Skill Programs

On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day 2025, Cosmo Foundation, Cosmo First Ltd.’s community outreach arm, reaffirms its dedication to raising a generation that is prepared for the future and has access to technology. For more than 15 years, Cosmo Foundation has been working at grass root level to address digital divide and open up new opportunities for young people, particularly those from underprivileged and rural areas. Cosmo Foundation’s goal to not only provide technical education but also to foster self-reliance, inclusivity, and confidence in India’s youth is in line with this year’s UN theme, “Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills.”

For Cosmo Foundation, this day is a celebration of each person who has changed their life via education, rather than just a symbolic observance. With an emphasis on digital literacy, language proficiency, life skills, and vocational training, Cosmo Foundation has impacted over 50,000 youth in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Delhi since starting its first digital skilling initiative in 2008. The Foundation’s programs aim to give students and youths the skills they need to succeed in the cutthroat, technologically advanced world of today, especially those from marginalised, remote, and tribal communities.

Cosmo Foundation has incorporated AI literacy and sophisticated digital tools into its training modules in response to the growing importance of artificial intelligence. In addition to e-commerce, digital payments, and social media management, young people are now exposed to platforms like Canva, ChatGPT, Gemini, Google Workspace and cybersecurity fundamentals. These AI-powered interventions are combined with fundamental abilities in communication, critical thinking, and computer literacy to make sure students are not only tech-savvy but also prepared for the workplace. Even in areas with poor connectivity, thousands of students can access education through programs like Cosmo Digi Pathshala, a WhatsApp-based learning platform.

Holistic development is the base of the Cosmo Foundation’s work. The Digital Skill Building Program, the Basic English Fluency Program, and vocational programs like the Auto-EV Technician Training and Nari Ki Sawari – a mobility program that teaches women to drive are some of the main initiatives run by Cosmo Foundation. All programs incorporate life skills like time management, leadership, etiquette, financial literacy, and hygiene awareness in addition to digital education. These multifaceted services have a particularly positive effect on women and girls, enabling them to contribute to their communities with confidence.

“World Youth Skills Day is more than a day of recognition – it is a celebration of potential,” said Ms. Yamini Jaipuria, Managing Trustee of Cosmo Foundation, in her remarks on the occasion. “At Cosmo Foundation, we think that the youth should be prepared to lead India’s digital and entrepreneurial future, not just to participate. We take pride in giving them access to contemporary resources, principles, essential skills, and most importantly the opportunities, that are shaping their lives for today and the future.”

Cosmo Foundation has seen thousands of inspiring changes over the years. Once unable to pay for private computer lessons, Ajay Vasava from the Gujarat village of Methi received training through Cosmo’s free digital education program. He now operates a digital service center in his village and oversees IT operations for retail establishments. After finishing the Foundation’s EV Technician Course in Aurangabad, Anisha Suradkar’s life took a significant turn. She now makes INR 15,000 a month working at Bajaj Auto, providing for her whole family and acting as an inspiration to others in her community. Similarly, Sajiya Bapal, also benefitted from Cosmo’s English Tutor YouTube content to pass the IELTS with a 7-band score, and now headed to the UK for her master’s degree in accounting.

“Since our very inception, we have focussed on upskilling the youth and the communities. For us at Cosmo Foundation, we have seen firsthand the impact of these skilling programs and access to digital skills in shaping the future of the youth and turning them into confident individuals. We believe that every village in India has untapped potential, and it is for us to identify these gaps and create opportunities for the youth and take India forward with new talents,” said Ms. Mamta Baxi, Head of CSR, Cosmo Foundation

Cosmo Foundation’s work has a noticeable effect on socioeconomic and educational results. While enrollment in government schools has increased, especially among girls, school dropout rates have decreased from 35% to just 2% in areas where Cosmo Foundation operates. Young people with trainings from Cosmo have found work as service center managers, teachers, nurses, HR executives, and data entry operators. Currently, almost 34% of beneficiaries work in the public or private sector, and another 18% have started their own businesses in industries like content creation, e-commerce, and digital design. Additionally, more than 80 women have been able to secure employment in electric vehicle companies thanks to vocational training, with monthly salaries ranging from INR 15,000 to INR 29,000.

With a core beneficiary age group of 6 to 24 years old, Cosmo Foundation’s programs has positively impacted over 68,000 students across 155 villages and 55 government schools. Learning is hyperlocal, inclusive, and sustainable – a result of Cosmo Foundation’s cadre of community-based educators and digital facilitators, which includes trained youth and local women.

Looking ahead, Cosmo Foundation is marking World Youth Skills Day 2025 with workshops and events that further elevate digital learning. In Vadodara, a virtual session on “Leveraging AI for Academic Excellence and Professional Growth” is being hosted in collaboration with Navrachna University, while a STEM awareness workshop for rural girls is being conducted in partnership with FICCI FLO.

Cosmo Foundation continues to work towards inclusive progress with each educated student, motivated educator, and strong girl – one in which young people from the most remote regions of India are not only armed with knowledge, and required skills, but also with the self-assurance to direct their own lives and become change agents for the community.