Traditional Degrees Vs New Skills - Which are more Aligned?

1. Traditional Degrees Vs New Skills - Which are more Aligned? When it comes to seeking job opportunities and making a career, traditional degrees continue to remain in demand. These give job aspirants a gateway to the much sought-after interview round. If one doesn’t have these degrees then breaking into the glass ceiling of upward mobility can remain a pipedream. However, times are changing with the advent of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, big data analytics, data science, and others. These technologies need a highly skilled workforce, which the traditional form of rote learning is unable to offer. Even as traditional learning aiming at the validation of knowledge through degrees inculcates soft skills, namely, critical and creative thinking, leadership, and communication, most job disciplines are changing.

2. Further, the pandemic has created a situation where a major part of the economy got hit resulting in the closure of several business establishments. The resultant job losses have rendered millions to fend for themselves.In fact, most people rendered jobless or looking to enter the job market face the daunting challenge of reskilling themselves through skill development training. As economies stagger to reopen and become fully functional, the workforce needs to align itself with the processes and technologies being used in the industry. Job aspirants find themselves at the cusp of making difficult decisions vis-à-vis education and career. So, instead of returning to higher education and arming themselves with traditional degrees, many are looking to reskill and upskill themselves. They plan to do so by attending short-term skill development training programs and take occupational leaps at lesser cost and time. A disconnect between higher education and the job market As per the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the figures for unemployment in India as of 15 July 2021 remained at 7.68%. Also, thanks to a wave of digital transformation rippling through the industry, the demand for new- age skills has increased – 44.7% in data analytics, 166% in IT security, 110% in full- stack software development, and 80% in Android app development. In fact, sectors such as BFSI, auto and engineering, services, and consulting witnessed a spike in demand for skilled professionals https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/new-age-tech-skills-high-in- demand/2239990/.) The industry is looking for candidates who possess a combination of both soft and hard skills. Traditional degrees offer a decent foundation in basic skills and a smattering of understanding of advanced skills. However, since university curricula are not aligned with the current technologies in use, candidates passing out of the portals mostly find themselves high and dry, and unfit for the available jobs. This gap between what is taught at the colleges and universities, and what is needed at the workplace needs to be bridged. In recent times, many colleges offering professional degrees have made industrial training a part of their curricula. Here, students attend skill development training and work with professionals at the ground level to understand the dynamics of work in real-time. by 22.5% (Source:

3. Conclusion In the ultimate analysis, it is not a clash between traditional degrees and new skills. Both have their requirements. However, to sustain in the competitive work environment of today, candidates cannot just rely on knowledge received at the traditional centers of learning. They must acquire new skills and understand processes that are being implemented in the industry. If traditional degrees give candidates the soft skills to make quick decisions and show leadership qualities, new skills make them more aligned to the technologies of the present and future. Source:https://www.bloglovin.com/@anudipfoundation/traditional-degrees-vs- new-skills-which-are AnudipFoundation Email:info@anudip.org PhoneNo.: +913340624187 VisitUs: https://www.anudip.org/ Stay Connected Via: https://twitter.com/anudipf https://www.facebook.com/AnudipFoundation https://www.instagram.com/anudipfoundation https://www.anudip.org/videos/