Presentation Panel
Youth and Workforce Readiness: Reimagining Skills, Leadership and Learning for the Future
Date Thursday, Dec 4 Time – Room: Knight
Please note: This is a Sign-In Session with limited capacity. Click “Mark this Session” to reserve your place. If you can’t attend, please unmark it so others may join. Seats of participants who haven’t arrived 5 minutes after the start will be released to others on site.
Preparing young people for the future of work requires more than technical skills, it calls for adaptability, creativity, leadership, and a rethinking of how learning connects to real-world contexts. This panel explores innovative models, entrepreneurial mindsets, authentic assessment, and practical approaches to embedding transferable skills. Together, the presentations highlight how education systems can equip youth not just for jobs, but for meaningful participation, resilience, and leadership in a rapidly changing world.
Ema Stapleton
Learning Designer, Kühne Logistics University
Ema is a learning designer with 6 years of experience in various roles in higher education, including as a lecturer and head of academic studies. In the past two years a learning designer at Kühne Logistics University, Ema’s work has also included digital learning as a major focus.
Sunday Ade Bello
Lecturer/Facilitator, Primelight University, USA, Lagos Study Centre
Dr. Sunday Ade Bello (SAB) is a seasoned academic, consultant, and entrepreneur with over 24 years of experience in management education and leadership development. He holds multiple doctorates and has taught and supervised extensively across universities in Africa and beyond. As CEO of WorkLife Training Professionals and Visiting Professor at institutions in Nigeria, Armenia and the West Indies, Dr. Bello champions entrepreneurship and organizational transformation. He serves on editorial and advisory boards, including the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, and has delivered over 300 presentations. His research and publications span poverty reduction, leadership, and MSME development across emerging economies.
Thorsten Lammers
Head of Learning on Campus, IU Group
Thorsten Lammers is a dedicated higher education leader with over 15 years of experience across teaching, research, and industry collaboration. Passionate about improving the student learning journey, he currently oversees the on-campus and blended learning experience at Europe’s largest university, ensuring innovative and scalable opportunities for success.
Moderator
Mike Klaassen
Programme manager, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
At the heart of his work lies a simple but powerful belief: by doing what works best, we can prepare future young professionals to achieve their ultimate potential in an effective and agile way. He approaches this goal through a daily practice of strategic innovation, empowering the development of educational programs and professionals, and facilitating change within the community.
One of his key strengths is nurturing ideas and creative impulses, and he loves to facilitate innovation ‘from the bottom up.’ In his work with dynamic public organizations and complex environments, he has honed his skills in distilling working mechanisms for change and helping others adapt to the current landscape. He believes in playing with learning and learning by playing, which keeps him energized and motivated in his work. He is tech-savvy, future-oriented and as such interested in trends and developments.
Shaping Workforce-Ready Entrepreneurs: The Role of Transformational Leadership in Bridging Education to Employment, Sunday Ade Bello
This session explores how transformational leadership in education can bridge the gap between academic learning and workforce readiness by cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets. Drawing on case studies from Africa, it presents a practical framework for preparing students not just for jobs, but for leadership and innovation in a digital economy.
From Curriculum to Career: Embedding Graduate Attributes for Workforce Readiness Through Low-Threshold Curriculum Innovation, Thorsten Lammers
How can universities prepare students for a rapidly changing world of work without overhauling entire curricula and affecting accreditation? This session highlights why graduate attributes matter, and shows how simple, low-threshold steps can make a big difference in bridging the gap between academic learning and employability.
Embedding Graduate Attributes using Digital Solutions to Enhance Workplace Readiness, Ema Stapleton
Preparing students for today’s workforce requires more than disciplinary knowledge, it demands skills in collaboration, feedback, and AI literacy. At Kühne Logistics University, faculty have integrated FeedbackFruits tools to embed active learning practices into their teaching. A multi-year peer review initiative has helped students develop the ability to give and receive constructive feedback, shifting classroom culture from passive to active participation. In another course, an exercise on AI detection challenged students to critically evaluate and identify AI-generated content, strengthening digital literacy and critical thinking. These practical implementations demonstrate how flexible learning tools can enhance employability outcomes while supporting institutional goals to better align education with the demands of the labor market.