Workplace experience, adaptability, AI capability and global trade knowledge emerge as priorities as youth seek better preparation for future careers
Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, and Junior Achievement (JA), one of the world’s largest youth-serving nonprofit organizations, have released findings from Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce – Asia Pacific Youth Insights, a new study jointly commissioned by FedEx and JA and published by the JA Institute.
Surveying more than 4,200 young people aged 15 to 22 across 10 Asia Pacific markets, including the Philippines, the study examines how prepared young people feel for future careers, focusing on practical and entrepreneurial capabilities, global trade knowledge, and readiness for artificial intelligence (AI).
The report coincides with the 20th year of the FedEx / JA International Trade Challenge (ITC), marking two decades of collaboration to advance entrepreneurship education across Asia Pacific. Since 2007, the program has reached more than 54,000 students across the region.
In the Philippines, the FedEx / JA ITC has trained more than 12,000 Filipino youth since 2009, helping them develop practical business, problem-solving, and cross-cultural collaboration skills through real-world learning experiences centered on global trade.
The study highlights the need to strengthen the connection between formal education and future workplace requirements. Among respondents asked about employer expectations, nine in 10 believe there is a gap between what they are learning and what employers will expect, while 97% of APAC youth want greater exposure to how the working world operates.
These findings point to growing demand for education that keeps pace with workplace transformations driven by AI, technological advancements, and evolving international trade.
“Asia Pacific’s long-term competitiveness will depend on how effectively we equip young people to turn ideas into businesses that solve real problems and compete across borders,” said Salil Chari, president, Asia Pacific, FedEx. “Entrepreneurship education must go beyond theory. Practical experiences such as the FedEx / JA International Trade Challenge help young people understand how global business works, test their ideas and build the confidence to act on them. By strengthening these capabilities early, our collaboration with JA Asia Pacific is helping develop a more innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem and a stronger pipeline of SMEs that can drive sustainable economic growth across the region.”
“The strong belief among Filipino youth that an entrepreneurial mindset is critical to success reflects their confidence, ambition, and willingness to embrace opportunities in a constantly evolving world,” said Garrick Thompson, managing director, FedEx Philippines. “As technology, AI, and global trade continue to reshape industries, young people need more than academic knowledge. They need practical experiences that help them build adaptability, problem-solving skills, and a global perspective. Through our collaboration with Junior Achievement, FedEx is committed to equipping Filipino youth with the capabilities and confidence to succeed in the future workforce and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic growth.”
APAC Youth Prioritize Practical Experience and Adaptability
The report reveals that young people across Asia Pacific want formal education to place greater emphasis on practical capabilities they can apply as workplace demands evolve.
Real-world workplace experience, problem-solving, and creative thinking rank among the top skills young people want to strengthen. These are followed by communication and presentation skills, as well as core digital and technology competencies.
Looking ahead over the next 10 to 15 years, respondents expect adaptability and learning agility to be among the most important capabilities for their careers. The findings suggest that young people recognize the value of transferable skills that enable them to keep learning, respond to change, and tackle unfamiliar challenges.
However, recognizing the importance of adaptability does not always translate into confidence when dealing with uncertainty.
While 62% of respondents feel confident adapting quickly when plans change, only 55% are comfortable solving problems without an obvious right answer, and 56% feel comfortable working without a fixed routine.
The findings underscore the importance of providing young people with opportunities to practice decision-making, navigate ambiguity, and develop confidence in situations that do not have predetermined solutions.
Youth See Entrepreneurial Thinking as Valuable Across Careers
The need to translate transferable skills into practical action is also evident in how young people view entrepreneurial thinking.
Across Asia Pacific, 85% of youth agree that an entrepreneurial mindset can help people succeed in any job. However, fewer respondents feel confident applying these capabilities in practice:
- 61% feel confident generating new ideas or solutions.
- 59% feel confident working independently and making decisions without significant guidance.
In the Philippines, the belief in entrepreneurial thinking is even stronger. 94% of Filipino respondents agree that an entrepreneurial mindset can help someone succeed in any job, placing the country among the markets with the highest levels of agreement, alongside Indonesia and Malaysia.
This finding reflects how strongly young Filipinos value taking initiative, recognizing opportunities, and acting on them—even when working as employees rather than running their own businesses.
Readiness, however, varies across the region. Self-reported confidence in innovation, initiative, and independent decision-making generally scores higher in Southeast Asia and lower in Japan and South Korea.
The findings point to the importance of entrepreneurship education that goes beyond starting a business, helping young people develop the mindset and practical capabilities to contribute, innovate, and make decisions across different professional settings.
Education Must Keep Pace with AI and an Interconnected Economy
Beyond entrepreneurial capabilities, the study emphasizes the need to prepare young people for an AI-enabled and increasingly interconnected global economy.
Although APAC youth recognize the importance of these skills, the findings indicate that formal education has not fully kept pace with their anticipated workplace needs.
- 90% believe understanding how business operates across countries will matter to their careers, but only 71% say their school or university has taught them how cross-border trade works.
- 84% believe they will need to work alongside AI, but only 62% feel their education is preparing them to use AI in a real working environment.
- 42% identify self-directed experimentation as their most commonly cited source of AI learning, suggesting that many young people are looking beyond formal education to build their capabilities.
The Philippines presents a different picture in the study. Filipino respondents credit formal education with 94% of their career preparation and trade knowledge, while 95% say their education has prepared them well to use AI. Both figures place the Philippines among the markets reporting the highest confidence in education’s role.
These results suggest that, compared with many other markets, Filipino youth are more likely to view their schools and universities as active partners in preparing them for an AI-enabled, globally connected economy.
Nevertheless, the broader regional findings highlight the importance of ensuring that classroom learning continues to evolve alongside technological developments, international commerce, and changing employer expectations.
Nurturing a Future-Ready Generation
“The most striking finding from this study is that young people are asking for more exposure to the workplace and real-world experience. As youth unemployment in Asia Pacific stands at almost 14% now, much higher than the adult rate, and the AI adoption divide continues to widen, we cannot assume that talent alone will be enough for young people to succeed. They need opportunities to build practical skills, gain confidence, and understand how work is evolving,” said Vivek Kumar, President and Chief Executive Officer of JA Asia Pacific.
“Last year, JA Asia Pacific helped more than 5 million young people prepare for the workplace, thanks to the commitment of our partner schools, teachers, volunteers, and long-standing corporate supporters such as FedEx. Our collective responsibility now is to ensure that every young person has a fair chance to thrive in the economy of the future,” Kumar added.
The findings also point to areas where targeted support can make a meaningful difference, particularly in helping young people use AI responsibly, navigate less structured business challenges, and apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations.
Industry-led and locally relevant programs can help bridge these gaps by developing the judgment, adaptability, and commercial understanding needed by the region’s future entrepreneurs, employees, and business leaders.
Through their continued collaboration, FedEx and Junior Achievement aim to strengthen opportunities for young people to gain practical experience and develop the capabilities needed to navigate a rapidly changing world of work.
For more insights into the future-ready skills needed by young people across Asia Pacific, read the full Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce – Asia Pacific Youth Insights report: https://www.jaasiapacific.org/2026-itc-apac-finals
