The future is uncertain? Not if you qualify in IT!

Boston City Campus reporter

The future of work is not just about gathering certifications, or as Aubrey Masango (broadcaster) cautions, about credentialism. Rather, we need to focus on skills acquisition, and flexibility.

“The future of work refers to an informed perspective on what businesses and other organizations need to know about how work could shift (given digitization and other trends), plus how workforces and workplaces can prepare for those changes, big and small,” (McKinsey).

Aubrey continues, saying that, “the future of work will be about job skills and interpersonal skills”.

What do the stats tell us? According to Ari Katz, CEO of Boston City Campus, results of an American survey show that 65% percent of children entering primary school will end up in jobs that don’t yet exist (World Economic Forum). For all graduates and employees, it means that we need to investigate new skills in all industries.

Thus, Boston focuses on two important aspects: 1) Liaising with corporate and industry to make sure our output is meeting the skills demand of industry, and 2) external accreditation such as that of CISCO, an international accreditation and certification brand in IT.

Overall employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 15 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for non-IT occupations. This increase is expected to result in about 682,800 new jobs over the decade.

Workers with Information Technology backgrounds are in high demand now and will be even more sought after in the next few years. (source: weworkremotely.com)

Kobus Olivier, HOD at Boston City Campus promotes IT skills advancement through completing a variety of the CISCO courses on offer at Boston. According to Kobus, “rapid technological change, combined with rising education costs, have made our traditional higher-education system an increasingly difficult path, so the option of gaining skills through CISCO, skill by skill, gives the advantage of breaking down study time and study costs into manageable chunks. Add to this the stamp of international credibility, and you get a head start in the IT job search queue!”.

A World Economic Forum report found that ‘in many industries and countries, the most in-demand occupations or specialties did not exist 10 or even five years ago, and the pace of change is set to accelerate.’ “What does this mean for us?” asks Katz? “It means we have to adopt the concept of lifelong learning - whether we are doctors, bookkeepers or IT technicians”.

Kobus maintains that the future of work is about flexibility and adaptability, about willingness to learn and grow. And no one profession can ever insulate us from the unpredictability of technological progression and disruption.

For those that are conservative in their approach to education and believe a degree is the be all and end all, consider this: Jobs website Glassdoor listed “15 more companies that no longer require a degree,…including tech giants such as Apple, IBM and Google”. “Increasingly,” Glassdoor reported, “there are many companies offering well-paying jobs to those with non-traditional education or a high-school diploma.”

New non-traditional education options are found freely on the internet. While campus students used to be focused on a particular profession, they have now broadened demand and understanding that they need to operate in a free market economy with strong competition. To remain competitive, they must be able to compete on many levels.

All graduates need an understanding of books and accounting, even the creatives. We need to be open to new ideas, lateral thinking, creativity, but still with an understanding of the business knowledge that a degree gives us, as well as the doors that it will open.

Careers are no longer static. Education doesn’t stop. It’s a lifelong process.

Visit www.boston.co.za