As an entrepreneur of over 40 years, I have witnessed first hand the power of innovation, resilience and risk-taking.

Entrepreneurship is not just about building businesses - it is about shaping the world, solving problems and seizing opportunities where others see obstacles. These are the very skills and mindsets that young people today need more than ever.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, entrepreneurship is no longer just a path to success - it’s a necessity for economic survival. Governments, educators and young people alike recognise that traditional career paths are changing. According to the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report, 39 per cent of global workers’ existing skills will be transformed or become outdated by 2030.

With the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, technical knowledge alone is no longer enough. Instead, some of the most valuable workplace skills are teamwork, communication, leadership, creativity and confidence.

Even for those who remain employees rather than business owners, an entrepreneurial mindset is now essential, as companies must become leaner, more competitive and innovation-driven.

Entrepreneurship in education

As entrepreneurship gains prominence, more people than ever aspire to start their own businesses. A recent Enterprise Nation study found that nearly half of UKadults are considering starting a business in 2025. In the US, 60 per cent of teenagers say they want to launch their own business rather than work as an employee.

However, the gap between ambition and action remains wide. While nearly 60 per cent of young people in the UK dream of starting a business, only 16 per cent actually do so.

Why is this? One of the key reasons is a lack of practical preparation. Without the right tools, guidance and confidence, many aspiring entrepreneurs never take the leap.

If we want to turn entrepreneurial ambition into success, we must embed entrepreneurship into the education system.

Research consistently shows that entrepreneurship education increases the likelihood of students becoming entrepreneurs. In the US, 25 per cent of students who complete Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) programmes go on to start their own businesses, compared with 19 per cent of the general population

However, to truly prepare students, entrepreneurship must be a part of the curriculum rather than an extracurricular activity.

At GEMS Education, we believe that entrepreneurial learning should be hands-on, risk-taking and innovation-driven. It must happen in an environment where creativity is encouraged, students take initiative and push boundaries, and failures are seen as learning experiences, not setbacks.

This is why we recently launched the Next Billion Innovation fund, specifically designed to support student-led start-ups, helping young entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into real businesses.

The $1 million will first be made available to students at GEMS School of Research and Innovation (SRI), opening in August in Dubai. Following this initial phase, access to this new fund will be rolled out to students taking part in our annual Global Innovation Challenge.

Now in its eighth year, this programme involves GEMS students in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar working in teams to develop innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. They are given the chance to compete for seed funding to bring their ideas to market.

These initiatives go beyond traditional education, offering students real-world pathways to entrepreneurship from an early age.

Preparing for an unpredictable future

Young people today have the passion and potential to change the world - but they also face greater challenges than previous generations. The workplace is evolving at a breakneck pace, and the jobs of tomorrow may not even exist yet.

We can’t predict the future, but we can prepare our students to shape it. An entrepreneurial education doesn’t just teach young people how to build businesses - it teaches them how to think creatively, solve problems and navigate an uncertain world with confidence.

I speak from experience - and I started young, while I was still a student myself. Whether I was leading teams, driving innovation or launching something entirely new, my career as an entrepreneur taught me lessons that no textbook ever could.

My hope is that every child, no matter where they are in the world, is given the opportunity to embrace this kind of education, supported by incredible teachers who inspire them to unlock their fullest potential and become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

Sunny Varkey is chairman and founder of GEMS Education

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