In the face of technological advancements, the workforce is undergoing an immense transformation. Technology is taking on repetitive and, increasingly, analytical tasks. Workers need to adapt, update their skills, and even reskill for higher-value occupations.
This transformation is particularly profound for universities, which are responsible for ensuring that students are not only job-ready but also capable of navigating the changing workplace of the future.
“You can’t prepare people for tomorrow’s jobs with yesterday’s skills,” said Professor Jane den Hollander, Vice-Chancellor at Deakin University.
Professor den Hollander argued that despite some commentary about the decline of universities, they will continue to play a role in preparing future leaders. But she said the education universities provide and how they deliver it must evolve.
“At Deakin, we’re responding to the changing nature of the workplace by developing professional practice credentials,” she said.
Digital training is key to this. ‘Micro-credentials’ can bridge the gap between university and employment. They can give students the choice to upskill quickly, and at times and in places that suit them.
“Just as how iTunes unbundled songs from a CD, the digital revolution enables a university degree to be disaggregated into all of its component parts.”
Professor Jill Downie, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Curtin University, agreed that digital literacy is essential for future employment. STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and soft skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity, and entrepreneurship are also vital, she said.
“Workers will spend more time learning on the job, solving problems, and thinking critically,” Professor Downie said. People will need an entrepreneurial mindset” due to work environments with less management, less organisational coordination, and less teaching, she said.
To help develop this mindset, Curtin University has revolutionised its teaching to include MicroMasters, which comprise ‘stackable credentials’—short courses that can be mixed and matched to suit the individual. For example, it has developed a MicroMasters in IoT, in partnership with online education provider edX, and leveraging the Cisco platform. Coming soon are MicroMasters in Intent-Based Networking and in 5G.
“This is how we’re reimagining postgraduate innovation and being innovative in how we prepare our graduates for the workplace of the future,” Professor Downie said.
Flinders University in Adelaide is taking training for the future of work seriously. It is home to the Tonsley Innovation District, a hub that includes a vocational training college, startups, and knowledge-intensive businesses.
The idea is to foster collaboration among these stakeholders for shared innovation and learning. Industries represented at Tonsley include health and medical devices, cleantech and renewable energy, mining and energy, and software and simulation.
Flinders is also looking to create a prototype ‘Factory of the Future’ at Tonsley to innovate and train people for the emerging world of Industry 4.0.