Educational Institutes will play key responsibility in creating technical skills for industrial revolution 4.0.
Over the past few years, industry leaders and tech experts have been emphasizing the preparedness amongst organizations and sectors for the industrial revolution 4.0. Undoubtedly the adoption of technology by organizations has expedited over the years. Especially the COVID 19 pandemic has surged this adoption so that organizations can sustain their operations. However, the industry has witnessed a dearth in the required skillset to handle disruptive technologies. A report by the World Economic Forum indicates that more than 7.5 lakh jobs in Europe will be left unfilled due to a lack of technical skills between 2020-2021. The skill gap is a major determinant thwarting the industrial revolution. By the year 2022, at least 133 million new roles will be generated due to labor division between humans, machines, and algorithms. Bridging this gap is paramount. Henceforth, educational institutes will play a key role in relieving organizations from the skill gap.
Emphasizing On STEM Education
STEM education implies Science Tech Engineering and Maths courses. Educational institutes must acknowledge this particular area of digital transformation. This means equivalently addressing the challenges and pre-existing bias associated with the course. A PwC survey points out that only 21% of women are enrolled in STEM courses, which widens the gender and skill gap. Hence organizations must encourage a gender-inclusive approach while enrolling students.
Moreover, instead of theoretical knowledge in STEM courses, institutes must also emphasize technical aspects and physical demonstrations so that students’ technological capability can be advanced. As demonstrative learning is often observed to be effective, the probability of students learning to deal with technical challenges amplifies. Since the discussion about AI-algorithmic biases has expounded, STEM institutes are required to teach students about the ethical and moral aspects of disruptive technology, as well.
Focusing on Critical Thinking
Schools form the basis of education. Students cultivate their skills and capability according to the approach learning approach they are presented with. Most schools globally focus on the concept of memorizing instead of excellence and critical thinking for the overall development of skillset. Certainly, learning shall never stop. Students must continuously educate themselves about the new technology and what can be delivered through it. However, schools must also emphasize critical thinking and logical reasoning aspect of education. Schools must encourage attributes such as creativity, curiosity, design thinking so that students can deliver beyond their skillset. Teachers and educators must act as a guide and mentor in solving critical problems, with various technologies.
Additionally, the schools must acknowledge the curiosity of students. This is an era where teachers must allow students to provide a learning environment through experimentation, failure, and re-learning. Once the students are accustomed to these habits, they can institutionalize this approach in their jobs. A report by Dell indicates that 85% of human jobs will not exist by 2030. This indicates that the roles having technical skillset and critical thinking will be more favored in the coming years.
