Today, with technology applications transforming into an integral part of every workplace, one of the major confrontations of business owners lies in the fact that fresh candidates are seldom trained on the latest technologies, and have to be trained on apparently everything, once recruited. In-house training, no matter how much ever beneficial and accurate it may be, incurs a lot of time, and demands a considerable financial as well as resource investment. While it could be viable for a multinational enterprise to align candidates with their requirements, for startups, maintaining an exclusive training infrastructure may attract an excess investment. Looking at this situation, the need for integrating technology with the conventional courses is what I attempt to emphasize through this blog.
Someone has to Step Out in the Sun!
A decade ago, it was still possible for people to escape technology and remain a parasite on the conventional techniques. However, today, there is no escape! The situation is, either you shape in, or you will be shipped out. Working professionals, at least owing to the fear of losing the job, seem to be shaping to the modern requirements; however, this concern has not completely dripped in the academic space yet. Even today, educators are either reluctant to change and graduate themselves to technology, or else, do not have the bandwidth to develop in-house skills to integrate technology into the existing course content.
Obviously, we cannot just watch the sunset and do nothing to light up the room. If not the already tied-up colleges, private educators need to come up with technology courses focusing on augmenting the professional skills of the students, and making them industry-ready. It is an ambitious step though! These educators attempt to bridge the skill gap created on account of ignoring or not including the in-trend technologies in the course curriculum. Let us look at some courses that aim at upgrading students to the international industry standards.
Training Programs Advised to fill in Skill Gap
Of course, if the industry demands, as an educator, you must have it. Educators need to graduate themselves to the required skill sets, the required technical expertise, and understand the thought process behind the inception of a particular technology. This process, at the outset, requires teachers to be aligned with the real-world expectations. Further, it is necessary for the stalwarts or the bigger players in the business to endorse and certify the industrial utility of the course. This will guarantee the learners a relevant job in the industry, and offer value for the money paid. All in all, as an educator, you need to build the trust amongst students for them to be felt in safe hands, while they learn from you. Here is an overview of the courses that need to be included in the regular curriculum.
Technology Oriented Courses
While most of the students are absolute experts at the theoretical concepts, they flounder while searching for buttons on the computer, as if it is their first encounter with the machine. This is quite usual, given the fact the students are never exposed to the fundamentals of computers and technologies, let alone working on the specific software/ technology used in a particular industry. It is therefore imperative to design and include courses that would train the students on the application of technology, rather only using a highlighter to highlight the exam specific points given in the textbook. For instance, some people who join as sales executives or marketing executives are not aware of the fundamentals of presentation. Regardless of how much ever great they may be at speaking or convincing the clients, they falter when it comes to technology application.
This is what the skill gap refers to! It does not challenge the traditional fundamentals of a concept, but emphasize learning the advanced aspects of it required in the real world. Technology-oriented courses bent on learning presentation skills, enhancing presentations, efficient use of spreadsheets, comprehending and decoding complex information, etc. are to name a few that would help fill the skill void.
International Exposure
Knowing what coins work in the international market is necessary to prepare students for the fierce global race. In this regard, educators should come forward, and create associations with the bigger players in the industry to design a world-class course curriculum and run international level contests to facilitate international exposure to the students. Such initiatives would help students know what the real-world follows, and what exactly is required to become a truly global player.
The World Beyond Text Books
Textbooks would strengthen the learning base of the students; however, what lies atop is their exposure to real-world situations and challenges. Having worked on some real-time projects and comprehended some real-world case studies would help them secure a grip on the understanding of the industrial concerns, and what is required out of them in the industry. Such students would not only perform the routine tasks well but also contribute to innovations the industry expects from the fresh brains. Working on the industry-relevant projects and submitting them on time would also help them organize themselves and their work. An attribute, which is otherwise developed only after a lot of erring and receiving brickbats at the workplace!
Leaders or Workers?
It is up to you to train students to be mere bookkeepers or policymakers. For some leadership in inherent, while some emerge victorious when the hidden leader in them is encouraged! Today, the industry wants leaders who would lead and run the show, and not mere workers who may stagnate over a period of time in the absence of a leader. Development of soft skills programs, appointing project leaders, developing and organizing leadership sessions, etc. would prove helpful in this regard.
As the old saying goes, make haste while the sun shines. The modern-age is full of opportunities, and the modern world is once again in need of some break-through innovations, taking it to the next level. But, only for the ones who keep up with time. So, make a choice – to be an innovative and unique educational entrepreneur, or be a mere addition to the crowd.