Skills over Degrees
FollowUniversities in Australia should prepare themselves for a fundamental change in their relationship with employers, who increasingly want students with particular skills rather than degree qualifications.
Employers were moving past the 20th-century model in which students removed themselves while they studied for a bachelor’s degree, and then possibly a master’s degree, before entering the workforce. This is a fundamental change. The credential is still important but it’s actually the skills that are attached to it that will drive the economy forward.
What employers want to know today is what skills candidates have gained and how they have applied them in the field.
The tendency is as follows. People want to go to university because they believe it will help them get a good job and a better quality of life. But, from employers’ perspective, the value of a degree is actually waning.
So, what should be the purpose of a good education system? To provide a proper education, nice knowledge and maybe ability to process the facts or something else?
First of all, an education system must follow the current trends regarding industry and market. No one needs experts who are good at theoretical level only. Today’s employees must be good in resolving practical problems, because that’s what the country needs for a strong economy and stable system.