How and Why Employers Hold the Key to Reversing Challenged Trends on Degrees

The employment sector is now up in arms against challenged university education system, which is accused of churning out lightweight graduates, some of who are backed by questionable papers. It is indeed pathetic, especially for the national economy. Apparently, we may need to first question on how this situation arose before contemplating any solutions. Why? It is highly unlikely that a problem can be solved without fast appreciating the cause.

Nonetheless, the scenario brings to mind a July 2007 visit by Tom Peters, a renowned management/leadership guru. During his address of July 9th 2007, to about 500 Organizational Executives, at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Tom Peters made a seemingly unexpected remark. He beseeched the delegates to abandon the idea of putting MBAs as pre-requisites for employment, especially for senior staff.

Instead, he encouraged them to embark on search for talent, as MBAs can never guarantee performance. Besides, it must by now be clear that the world has moved on from hunter gatherer age-agricultural age –industrial age-knowledge age and is now largely adopting talent age as information explosion and never ending search for efficient utilization of resources continues unabated.

However, the situation is delicate for those still being guided by the paradigms of the industrial age of the 20th century. Talent was then largely unheard off especially in the workplace. The competition was based on the quantity and weight of the certificates of prospective employees, with little regard for the quality. The presumption was that probably, every educated person has the potential to perform as expected.

That situation is not applicable any more. Whatever, the level of education, excellence in performance depends on the orientation towards that education. Doesn’t it? Thus, a person with a science oriented mind placed in roles of that of an artistic orientation or the other way round, may be in a somehow uncomfortable scenario.

Unfortunately, that is the  situation in which most people find themselves. Their study orientations are largely driven by marketability of the degrees under consideration. This space may not accommodate adequate analysis of the implications, some of which are manifested in the challenges now being complained of. So, which way for the stakeholders?

Seemingly, there needs to be a new look on MBAs and other degrees as well as diplomas. Perhaps, the same now need to be secondary considerations or treated as added advantages only after talent has been identified. This means that the school system needs to be empowered to identify the orientations of their students at the earlier stages of learning. That way, there are chances of acquiring more focused human resource.

At the same time, there is likelihood of toning down the demand created for ‘certificate’ backed credentials that can’t be applied in real life situations. Keep in mind that every human being has a competitive advantage only waiting to be exploited. That explains why tech greats like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs never had the time to go for degrees. All is not lost though, for those organizations wishing to disentangle themselves from the challenges indicated and at the same time be compliant with the dynamics of the 21st century.

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