When Skilling Meets Celebration: Inside Ira Skills’ First-Ever Convocation

In a city where careers are increasingly shaped by automation rising living costs and shifting job roles skilling is no longer a longterm aspirationit has become an immediate necessity This reality was on full display at Rebuild Your Life ndash Ira Skills Convocation the firstever skills convocation hosted by Ira Skills on January 11 at The Westin Mumbai Garden CityThe fullday event brought together over 140 working professionals from across India many of whom were navigating midcareer transitions income stagnation or the pressure to remain relevant in an AIdriven workplace Hosted at a fivestar venue in Goregaon the convocation marked a departure from traditional certificate ceremoniesreframing skilling not as remediation but as achievementParticipants represented a wide crosssection of Mumbairsquos professional landscape IT and nonIT employees midlevel managers freelancers consultants and individuals building secondincome streams alongside fulltime jobs For many the convocation was less about completion and more about recognitionof effort risktaking and reinventionUnlike academic convocations rooted in degrees and grades the Ira Skills event focused on outcomes The agenda combined keynote sessions expert talks and learner success stories with awards recognising tangible progress such as role changes income growth and practical application of skills Speakers including Ira Skillsrsquo esteemed trainers like Akshita Jasolis Sanjay Kathuria Gajendra Kothari and Raj Singh addressed themes ranging from leadership and wealth mindset to the everyday use of Excel automation and AI tools in the workplaceFounder and CEO Deven U Pandey said the idea behind the convocation was to celebrate progress rather than perfection ldquoSkilling should feel aspirational not intimidatingrdquo he said ldquoThis event is about recognising professionals whorsquove taken ownership of their careersoften while juggling fulltime jobs families and financial responsibilitiesrdquoDevenrsquos perspective on skilling is shaped by his own professional journey Trained as an interior designer he spent over four years working closely with engineers architects and technical professionals Despite strong academic credentials he repeatedly saw capable individuals struggle to translate education into career mobility ldquoThe problem wasnrsquot talent or ambitionrdquo he said ldquoIt was relevance There was a clear gap between what people were taught and what the workplace demandedrdquoThat observation led to the founding of Ira Skills in 2020 with a focus on practical outcomedriven learning for working professionals rather than fresh graduates The platformrsquos emphasis on Hindiled instruction and realworld application was a deliberate attempt to make skilling accessible to Indiarsquos vast midcareer workforce many of whom are excluded by Englishheavy or theoryfirst modelsThe convocation also highlighted the role of community in career transformation Several participants shared personal journeys of moving into new roles negotiating better pay or building freelance income streams using newly acquired skills Applause often followed peer storiesunderscoring a collective shift in how professionals view growth not as a solo pursuit but a shared experienceFounded in 2020 Ira Skills has trained over five lakh paid learners nationwide and currently holds a 48star Google rating based on more than 55000 reviews With its first convocation in Mumbai the platform signalled a broader ambitionto redefine skilling as something to be celebrated publicly much like academic milestones once wereAs Mumbairsquos workforce continues to evolve events like this point to a changing definition of successone shaped less by degrees and designations and more by adaptability practical skills and the confidence to rebuild when required

When Skilling Meets Celebration: Inside Ira Skills’ First-Ever Convocation

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When Skilling Meets Celebration: Inside Ira Skills’ First-Ever Convocation

Other Articles

Mid-Day Fast