Technical skills not enough
University students need to come to terms with the fact that they need more than just technical skills to secure a job
WITH SA’s unemployment figures at their highest in eight years, and in an ever more competitive job market, technical proficiency in a chosen field is no longer enough to help a graduate land a job and be successful in the workplace.
‘Students and higher education institutions understandably spend a vast amount of their time on ensuring a sound technical understanding and subject expertise,’ said Wonga Ntshinga, Senior Head of Programme: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education.
‘However, too often the skills that will make a student stand out and ensure resilience in a volatile environment are not given due consideration.’
It is therefore incumbent on institutions to enable an environment in which empowering skills are given due focus, with the following serving as a guideline:
Encourage students to read
Reading is essential – be it the daily newspapers or a variety of fiction and non-fiction.
The curriculum of technical programmes is composed of technical reading, and very few students take the time to read something outside their domain.
Expose students to their peers in other disciplines or academic programmes
This will help the students to understand what the communication norms are and what will be effective.
It creates the opportunity for them to learn from others and participate in meaningful conversations not restricted to their own subject matter, and builds engagement, collaboration, and value-based leadership skills.
Encourage students to learn an additional language
Whether a local or foreign language, being able to at least converse with and understand people from another culture will always broaden horizons and understanding, and will serve as a valuable addition to a graduate’s CV.
Give students a thorough understanding of the real-life business environment
Institutions should train and up-skill students to understand the business area that they will be working in together with the type of customer they will be dealing with, to empower them with workable solutions to communications issues that commonly arise in their field.
Develop a solid understanding of social media
Social media is no longer just a social thing, and even a cursory glance at many students’ profiles reveal the precarious position in which they find themselves.
The personal has become public, and even a like of the wrong kind of content can cost you your reputation or career.
Develop an understanding of the rules of engagement
Students should be encouraged to learn at least rudimentary debating skills, as well as the main techniques of reflecting.
It is often reflection that results in optimal communication, thinking and learning.
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