The Career Landscape of the Future

By Rakesh Gaur, Director of Marketing and Creative Communications, Skyline University College

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The digital revolution is really just getting started. We are heading to a digital future, and technology is changing faster than most of us can keep up. The voice is now replacing the keyboard, and computing is now being turbo-charged by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Automation and digital platforms are changing the nature of work. For certain, the workplace of the future is technology-driven.

Analysts predict that by 2025, humans will lose 75 million jobs to automation. Humans might need to compete with robots. To stay relevant as a workforce, we must adapt with the goal of not merely to survive, but also to thrive.

Academic institutions play a significant role in making sure that the future generation is prepared for the tech-driven world. To continue to deliver quality education, universities must constantly review the efficiency of their system. Educators have to understand this shift in technology in order to equip students with the knowledge and skills to keep them ahead of the competition. At Skyline University College (SUC), we put emphasis on technology and innovation in our programs and activities, as we see the future moving in that direction.

The demand for Information Technology specialists will continue to grow in the coming years. Emerging technology will bring new jobs such as Data Analysts and Scientists, AI and Machine Learning Specialists, Software and Applications Developers and Analysts, and New Technology Specialists. The rising Data and Algorithm Economy will also give rise to Cloud and Big Data Specialist jobs.

Skyline’s School of Information Technology is designed to meet the dynamic environment of information technology. A popular program is the Enterprise Computing, which gives students high-tech skills and business acumen that are critical to a company’s operation. We also offer courses in digital marketing and programming. Our programs and courses are designed to develop in students a deep understanding of statistics, and build their critical thinking, data-driven decision making and problem-solving skills – skills that are indispensable in the IT industry.

With the growth of the IT industry and the evolution of IoT (Internet of Things), there will be a great need to protect organisations’ computer networks and systems from security breaches. With a projected growth of 28% through 2026, the field of information security will open more career opportunities. This positive outlook on the jobs in network protection encouraged Skyline to offer a certification in ethical hacking. Skyline’s Ethical Hacker Course equips professionals with skills that qualify them to work as information security analysts, security consultants, or information security managers.

As communication barriers in global business break down, businesses must target the International market. A degree in business will be valuable. Part of the activities we do in Skyline is to hone students’ cross-cultural communication skills so they can confidently compete in the global business arena. We also focus on teaching them data analysis, as this will be a fundamental skill in Business Management and Market Research Analyst jobs that are going to be more popular in the comings days.

Innovation and entrepreneurship will continue to play an important role in the development of the global economy. Society will, however, give more attention to new digital business models, and consumers will be more open to digital entrepreneurship. Skyline offers business and digital marketing courses to prepare students and professionals in embracing the shift in different industries such as finance, retail, marketing, tourism and hospitality, and even human resource management.

In the digital world, particularly in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), hard skills are essential, but they won’t be sufficient. As Steve Jobs, the Co-founder of Apple Computer Inc., said, technology alone is not enough – “it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.” In the not-so-distant future, anything that cannot be digitised and automated will be extremely important. Soft skills like creativity and imagination will be necessary more than ever, as these fuel innovation. Other human-only traits such as intuition and ethics will be valuable as well.

Skyline University College ensures that students won’t lose their creative spark by organising activities that fire students’ imaginations, and it ensures they are ready for tomorrow’s digital landscape by delivering enterprising, innovative and techno-creative education. The quality of our education prepares students for the immediate future. It equips them for jobs that do not even exist yet.