Rat Race Running

Last Updated on March 12, 2023

We already had a generation of college graduates who only experienced limited face-to-face classes. In effect, this may impact how a college education will be viewed in the future.

I wonder what will happen by then. How will industries in our country adapt to accommodate prospective employees with limited hands-on experience? Well, I guess they can always have boot camps.

I wonder how these soon-to-be graduates will develop valuable “soft” skills in personal and professional development if their interaction with their college peers is limited. Well, I guess they can learn along the way.

I wonder if the educational sector will still return to its previous form or change into a hybrid type of education — only time will tell.

Looking from an educator’s perspective

As a former college educator, I often ask myself these hypothetical scenarios. I don’t know what the future holds, but I can’t help but think about it.

We know that the pandemic accelerated and dramatically changed and challenged how we work, gather, learn, and live our lives. But thankfully, with the help of the Internet, it became bearable.

While many could continue with their lives, others had to learn how to adapt.

The Future of Education

A few years ago, I was in an orientation seminar at our school, and one of the topics briefly discussed was AI and automation. 

So, as someone who observed first-hand how automation is disrupting jobs, I had to ask the presenter.

“How can we, as a higher educational institution, make sure that our graduates are ready to take on the threat of automation once they venture out of the safety of our school?” I asked.

The question was not answered satisfactorily, and I realized that the current formal education is not moving at par with the technological advancement required by the workplace.

I can’t help but think about how our current educational system will adapt to cater to the needs of the students once we move to the “better normal.”

Then I realized that education will soon be more personal and based on the learner’s interest, like how schools now offer subjects relating to K-Drama and Esports.

In connection, the current pen-and-paper assessment of schools may also be transformed into a more performance-based assessment, as it should be.

While degrees are important, the job market is almost starting to converge. When I was still in the IT sector, our college degrees were almost unimportant as long as we graduated from any STEM courses.

As a result, the teams I was a part of are composed of a wide range of degree-holders, most from BSIT, BSCS, and BSECE, but there are also BSIS, BSEE, BSCpE, and even BSME and BS Math.

Will AI and automation finally take over?

A few years ago, a friend introduced a website called “WillRobotsTakeMyJob.com.” This site tries to predict the likelihood of jobs being “taken over” or replaced by AI and automation.

According to the site, engineers are pegged at a 1.4% chance of being automated. That is relatively low compared to other repetitive and manual labor jobs, such as Data Entry Keyers and Taxi Drivers, which are predicted to be automated at 99% and 89%, respectively.

Though these predictions will not be entirely accurate, this is still a good baseline for the assumed job disruptions in the future.

The Future of Jobs

Every great invention, like the personal computer or the Internet, drastically changed many sectors and even drove them unnecessarily.

However, each great invention also created a new industry and new jobs that were almost unimaginable 50 years ago. Think about YouTuber vloggers, online sellers, freelancers, Uber drivers, and Android developers.

Every new technology will surely disrupt how we live today and offer a new path of advancement. Because of that, we can only think of the variety of possibilities that blockchain and AI will provide in the future.

Final Thought:

Technology is constantly evolving, so education must quickly adapt. However, our current form of education has almost been static, and it may be high time for a revamp.

As educators, we must continue adapting and being adaptable if we want our institutions to stay relevant and significant.

I think there will be changes in our jobs and education in the near future. The only question is, “Are we ready?”