NMITE's new Assistant Professor Lahari Parchuri and Professor Gary C Wood have joined forces to tell us about the importance of going beyond preparing applicants for jobs, and how instead we strive to prepare learners with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in our ever-evolving society.
The path of the future is constant change and uncertainty. Regardless of individual beliefs about the future, the best thing we can do is to prepare for it. For a lot of people, the future feels like it happens to them, instead of with them. On the other hand, people’s needs are changing in terms of what ‘work’ means and how they relate to it in their lives.
We have seen the unprecedented acceleration of ‘digital technologies adaptation’ as a result of COVID-19 and the effect that it had on some businesses that were behind the curve. If a business is not aware of technologies that improve their revenue, productivity and are cost effective, that’s a competitive disadvantage – and it will struggle to survive in the long run. Every profession and every job will change because of Artificial Intelligence whether that’s in a few years or decades. It is not just about technology, it is about culture change and behaviour change for individuals, organisations, and wider communities of which we are all part. Leaders must embrace change to capitalise on the opportunities it will present.
We are well underway into transitioning to a world where learning isn’t just associated with schools, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions but is a core aspect of the workforce to keep up with the changes in innovation and technologies. Jobs like ‘Cloud architect’, ‘Social Media Manager’, ‘Block Chain analyst’, ‘Podcast producer’ etc didn’t exist ten years ago and we don’t fully know what jobs of the future will be. In the next 10 years, we will see the emergence of new educational and training programmes that can successfully train large numbers of workers in the skills they will need to perform the jobs of the future. We have a big opportunity to shape the future, and it is so critical for business and organisational leaders, politicians, to make sure that they are stepping towards what’s coming so they can influence it.
At NMITE, we are playing our part in preparing for the future of Herefordshire’s businesses and residents and it is a core element of our Strategic Plan: Engineering A New Future: 2023-2028. Alongside offering degrees in engineering and technology, we’ve been delivering our Herefordshire Skills for the Future Project, with European Social Funding – working with young people, education providers, businesses, and their employees to understand current skills needs, and to develop skills to meet those and future needs. We have ambitious plans to build a dedicated ‘Centre for Future Skills’ (working title) by Spring 2024 and build valuable knowledge transfer partnerships with local businesses and industry partners right here in Hereford. We are currently in the stakeholder engagement and consultation phase to design the programmes that deliver skills and impact in the region. Although we will be running several programmes over the next few years, we recognise it’s not about a package or training programme that we deliver and move on: it will be a continuous process as we embrace and adapt to future change and pivot as relevant to the times.
If you would like to talk to us and be part of the conversation or tell us your future business needs please email information@nmite.ac.uk – we would be delighted to hear from you. We believe it takes a truly collaborative approach to prepare for the uncertain and changing times ahead!
Further reading from World Economic Forum on the skills needed for the future of work here.
- Assistant Professor, Lahari Parchuri & Academic Director, Professor Gary C Woods
