"Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce: Asia Pacific Youth Insights" launched in Singapore for the 20th FedEx / Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge Finals

Young entrepreneurs from across Asia Pacific gathered in Singapore on 17 August as the 20th FedEx/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge (ITC) Asia Pacific Finals officially got underway with the Opening Ceremony.

Now in its 20th year, the FedEx/JA International Trade Challenge gives young people the opportunity to put their entrepreneurial thinking and understanding of international trade into practice through a real-world business challenge.

At the Asia Pacific Finals, participants face an added twist: each finalist is paired with a peer from another market to form a new team, given a surprise challenge, and has under 48-hours to develop a market-entry strategy before presenting their ideas to a panel of expert judges.

The experience challenges participants to adapt quickly, exchange perspectives and collaborate across cultures — skills that are increasingly important in a connected global economy.

The opening ceremony brought together youth entrepreneurs, business leaders and policymakers from across the region. Guest of Honour Ms. Yeo Wan Ling, Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC, Member of Parliament for Punggol GRC and Chairwoman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower in Singapore, officially declared the competition open following a roll call of participating countries and territories led by Kirk Kenny, Chief Operating Officer of JA Asia Pacific.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC, Member of Parliament for Punggol GRC and Chairwoman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower in Singapore), joined by Salil Chari (Regional President of FedEx Asia Pacific), Dr Vivek Kumar (President and Chief Executive Officer of JA Asia Pacific), and youth representatives from the eight countries and territories in a countdown to launch the report online.

The ceremony also featured the launch of Shaping Tomorrow's Workforce: Asia Pacific Youth Insights, a regional report commissioned by FedEx and JA Asia Pacific. Ms Yeo joined Salil Chari, Regional President of FedEx Asia Pacific, Dr Vivek Kumar, President and Chief Executive Officer of JA Asia Pacific, and youth representatives from the eight countries and territories in a countdown to launch the report online. Dr Kumar later shared key findings from the report, followed by a keynote address by Salil Chari on preparing young people for the future of work. The opening ceremony concluded with the announcement of the 2026 competition topic.

Read Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce: Asia Pacific Youth Insights:https://www.jaasiapacific.org/2026-itc-apac-finals 

Over the coming days, participants will work with their newly paired teammates to turn their ideas into market-entry strategies, putting their creativity, adaptability and cross-cultural collaboration into action as the competition progresses.