Today’s educational institutions are stressing on activities and programs that help students identify their talent and skills. The education system has finally come to terms with the fact that when the students find what they like, they can do it better and be successful in the future, and this success is more important than getting a good grade and not knowing what to do in the future. Although there are a lot education solution providers out there, Arc Skills is arguably the world’s first lifelong learning company that takes a pioneering approach to skill development for the 21st century by creating education and training products that are transferable, industry-relevant, and accessible to all.
“Skills are what decides on who succeeds and those who don’t. Providing a platform to solve this global crisis is the inspiration behind Arc Skills. The founders intended to establish the largest lifelong learning platform in the world and connect this to the labour market – a task that is currently done in fragmented ways. Our approach is such that one can be associated with us for learning from age 8 onwards till they retire. An individual can learn age-specific or task-specific skills from us through this journey,” says Mamta Thakur, CEO (ASEAN), Arc Skills.
Bringing to the table a combined experience of more than 100 years in the skills development space spanning the globe, the Arc Skills team uses a combination of state-of-the-art pedagogies to teach their skills programs. Ranging from gamification, immersion, reflection, hands-on practice to simulations, the team uses online, offline, and blended delivery models to drive home the lessons. “Gamification is the best way to create high levels of engagement as it motivates, challenges and emotionally involves kids. It also puts learning in the hands of the kids. Our approach to gamification is to weave it into the program. The gamification experience is, therefore, custom-designed to suit the requirements of the program. We work with several partners and experts to achieve this,” pinpoints Mamta.
While the programs are developed by the company’s Global Product and Innovation center, the trainers are sourced locally and trained and certified to cater to local nuances, language, and culture. Thereby turning the Arc Skills’ trainer repository into a melting pot of experts from different nationalities and competencies.
Helping Students to SOAR!
Based on extensive research, Arc Skills came out with a suite of programs catering to the K-12 segment, aptly named as SOAR. SOAR aspires to give students around the world the opportunity to realize their strengths, discover new possibilities, and expand their talents. While enhancing traditional academics with a program that deepens children’s understanding and command of essential life and career skills, SOAR also enables children to build a solid foundation of confidence, self-awareness, and social and emotional skills through the teaching of values, virtues, life skills, and career-based skills.
Thanks to Arc Skills’ exemplary work with global brands and organizations, the team is quite aware of the skill sets that the modern businesses demand, thus streamlining the company’s school program offerings to the current industrial requirements. “Our school programs utilize interactive technology, gamification, and expert knowledge to inspire children as they explore professions, solve creative problems. SOAR connects children to their potential by nurturing a holistic range of skills that transfer into any career or further education options,” adds Mamta.
SOAR, under its extensive portfolio presents Skills 21, a program that specially caters to students from Grade 6 to 9. Skills 21 is a research-backed gamified school program that nurtures 21st-century skills in students by immersing them in an engaging superhero-themed game, group activities, and deep reflective discussions. Another offering from the Arc Skills repository is Growth X Accelerate, a student support system. Growth X Accelerate support students with the relevant skills needed for them to become a valuable resource for the Industry and drive employability for fresh graduates. It attempts to bridge the gap between what industry needs and what gets produced from the Universities/Colleges and TVET centres.
From Kinder to Retirement
Ensuring that Arc Skills has its finger in every pie, the company, besides the K12 and Higher education solutions, offers technical and vocational courses (TVET) and in-service programs for working professionals. The TVET suite courses are designed for staffing front line personnel across a range of industries from construction, banking, retail, hospitality, facilities management, etc. The in-service programs are designed for employers looking to increase the productivity levels of their staff or those professionals wanting to upgrade their skills. Accredited to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Arc Skills are super pumped to announce that SOAR was recently awarded the ISTE Seal of Alignment for its SOAR Values junior school program. This recognition allowed Arc Skills to join the select group including Google, Microsoft, and Adobe.
Given the magnitude of effect Arc Skills’ programs and offerings have on the budding workforce, it is no wonder that the company has been praised on the global front and has been receiving awards and recognitions. For instance, Arc Skills was chosen as the recipient of the Qadat Al Tagheer Award for Excellence in Skills Development Globally. “We were honoured with this prize at the 3rd Edition of the UAE-India Economic Forum (UIEF), presented in Dubai by H.E. Jamal Al Jarwan, Secretary-General of the UAE International Investor Council, to the Group CEO, Mithun Kamath.
The UAE-India Economic Forum (UIEF) is a respected platform for government leaders, policymakers, and businesses to discuss opportunities and frameworks to attract investors, sovereign wealth funds, large corporates, and industries into the respective countries. The Qadat Al Tagheer Award, meaning Leaders of Change, celebrates the contribution of people in business from the UAE and India in the retail, financial, healthcare, construction, and education sectors. We topped the shortlist to take home the international award for our innovative and effective life skills program and vocational employability solutions,” Mamta beams with pride. However, for the Arc Skills team, the greatest satisfaction and recognition is that they have helped thousands of people finding livelihoods, making an impact on their families and communities.
Charting future plans, Arc Skills intends to further its expansion, scale, and impact and continue to expand its geographical footprint in countries of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East where significant transformation is taking place in the education space. Believing in the ability of teachers to bring about a great impact in transforming education, Arc Skills intend to partner with them, form global communities and be change agents. “We are going to ensure that millions of young children grow up with the skills that they need,” concludes Mamata on a positive note.