The idea of lifelong learning has become very popular lately, with an increasing number of students and professionals looking to upskill or reskill. ‘Upskilling’ can be understood as a process of acquiring new skills in a professional context, enabling individuals to keep pace with evolving industry trends. These skills often add to a person’s pre-existing skill set.
How upskilling impacts the education sector
Higher education institutions look towards equipping their students with skills for their professional development and career advancement. They also expose them to post-study career opportunities at the completion of their degree. With the ultimate vision of making students future-ready, educational institutes encourage and support upskilling initiatives.In fact, companies have moved from qualification-based recruitment to skill-based recruitment, directly impacting educational institutions. The skill gap among employees, a result of pre-structured academic curricula, poses a challenge to recruiters who would prefer to hire those with relevant skills of new age technology. When companies build relationships with universities, they have a vested interest in the initiatives undertaken by the institute in minimising the skill gap for students, in addition to providing them the right skill set. For this reason, top universities worldwide are expected to incorporate upskilling strategies in their curriculum to strengthen their students’ portfolios before their placement.
The education sector, as studies by World Education Forum suggest, must implement a comprehensive strategy to promote upskilling among its students. According to the report, by 2030, investment in skill development may raise the world’s GDP to $6.5 trillion, creating 5.3 million worth of net employment globally. These statistics indicate that the education sector is a significant contributor to the global economic shift.
Ireland has implemented a Human Capital Initiative, in 2019, which is investing €300m over five years in increasing the capacity of higher education to meet the skills needs of the future. The Initiative is delivering an investment targeted towards increasing skills-focused programmes that in turn develop the most relevant and in-demand skillsets for learners of all levels- be it professionals, undergraduates, and postgraduates.
How is the education sector responding to this new need
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it numerous challenges across sectors including education, one of the major changes that emerged was normalizing of online education and e-learning. As universities around the world struggled to deliver a meaningful education to their students, e-learning models bridged the distance between the two parties. These e-learning models could identify knowledge gained and skill gaps, in addition to fulfilling regular academic requirements, and were further explored as an opportunity to upskill students at the base level.E-learning programs in areas such as data automation, cyber security, coding, UX/UI design, search engine optimization, leadership skills, organizational behaviour, and so on are gaining popularity among students. As a result, many of these programs have been or are presently being adopted as credited courses by colleges and universities. In addition, universities are also supporting upskilling through internships, mentorship, and/or apprenticeship programs. By leveraging such opportunities, students not only advance their skills but also build industry networks, in turn advancing their career trajectory.
Since many global academic institutions have now adopted such upskilling strategies, students of higher education have embraced a willingness to expand their scope of knowledge from the very beginning.
These credentials earned, likewise, allow them to differentiate their portfolio from the rest of the milieu. Even social networking platforms like LinkedIn offer and value these credentials. Moreover, these skills are nowadays sought after even during the recruitment cycle, especially when reviewing the willingness of the potential employee to learn, adapt, and grow in the industry. Similarly, soft skills in the workplace are becoming increasingly important as organisations look towards adding additional value to their business.
Irish universities have taken a lead in this respect by offering industry led programmes with a unique instructional model that are taught by skilled professors with a corporate or industry background. Institutions foster innovation and entrepreneurship at all levels by offering masterclasses and micro-credentials that facilitate advanced professional development and lifelong learning. Some degrees encourage students to develop creative and analytical approaches to problem-solving in their sector, practical learning that helps carve a niche for themselves in global markets.
Ireland has also been driving pioneering academia-industry partnerships, which has been vital to bringing forth innovation and growth in academic curriculum- which in turn delivers qualified job-ready applicants with a specialisation in knowledge and practical training to industries. Tech companies are partnering with universities to upskill their talent and prepare for Industry 4.0 and the digital future.
Owing to this, University of Limerick has new and diverse computer science courses like the immersive software engineering programme in partnership with leading tech companies from Ireland and around the world, including Analog Devices, Stripe, Zalando, etc. The MSc in Applied Software Engineering at Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone is funded by Ericsson Ireland and ICT Skillnet which covers the entire software development lifecycle and includes a three-month paid placement with Ericsson.
Bottomline
As great minds rightly say, learning never ends. The education qualification and degrees one receive of course matter, but it is one’s new age skills and acclimatising practices that make you stand out. Therefore, students and professionals must look to broadening their knowledge landscape and adapting swiftly to newer developments in their industry to ensure they can take up a valuable place in the competitive job market.
