Global forum targets skills gap between classrooms and workplaces

A new global forum linking universities and industry has launched as employers warn widening skills shortages are leaving graduates unprepared for jobs in an AI-driven economy.

The LIONS Educators Forum will connect educators with leaders from the creative industries to develop future-ready curricula and strengthen pathways between education and employment.

The initiative will create a global network where educators can share best practices, access industry insights and collaborate on ways to equip students for changing workplace demands.

The programme includes two annual virtual roundtables, an in-person forum during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity from June 22 to June 26 and a year-round professional network.

Project Management Institute (PMI) and Cannes Lions announced the initiative on June 8.

The forum will be chaired by Vann Graves, Executive Director of VCU Brandcenter, and guided by a leadership team from Cannes Lions.

The launch comes as employers report widening gaps between the skills graduates possess and those required in the workplace.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025, 63 per cent of employers identify skills shortages as the biggest barrier to business transformation, while nearly 40 per cent of workers' core skills are expected to change by 2030.

The report identified analytical thinking, resilience, flexibility, leadership and creative thinking among the skills employers expect to become increasingly important over the next five years.

Separate research by Cengage Group found only 30 per cent of 2025 graduates secured jobs in their field of study, while 48 per cent felt unprepared to apply for entry-level positions.

Among those who felt unprepared, 56 per cent cited a lack of job-specific skills as their biggest challenge.

The study also found that 35 per cent of graduates wanted education programmes to work more closely with employers, while half of educators dedicate 20 per cent or less of their curriculum to workforce skills.

“Creativity is now one of the most important skills in the global economy, yet the connection between education and industry has never been more critical,” said Steve Latham, Global Head of Strategic Learning Initiatives at Cannes Lions.

“The LIONS Educators Forum is designed to close that gap by creating a space where educators and industry leaders can collaborate, share insights, and shape the future together,” added Latham.

As the forum's founding partner, PMI will help shape discussions around the capabilities students need to succeed in an AI-enabled workplace, where organisations increasingly require workers who can navigate uncertainty, collaborate across disciplines and manage complex projects.

“The future of work will reward people who can do more than generate ideas,” said Menaka Gopinath, Chief Marketing Officer at PMI.

“We need to equip students and the educators who guide them with the skills to bring people together, make sense of complexity, and turn creative ambition into real-world impact,” noted Gopinath.

“Through the LIONS Educators Forum, PMI is proud to help prepare the next generation with the capabilities to not only imagine what is possible, but to make it happen,” she added.

The forum will focus on two main areas: helping educators develop curricula aligned with evolving workplace needs and strengthening links between academic institutions and employers.