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Opinion: Higher Ed’s New Role in Tech Training

The pace of innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity has made it more imperative than ever for colleges and universities to tailor their programs to the needs of emerging tech industries.

A hand pointing towards illuminated symbols, among which are the words "training," "development" and "skills." Dark background.
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As we navigate the new year, one of higher education’s most important tasks will be training a qualified and effective workforce for a growing number of technology-related fields. This workforce can be comprised not only of prospective graduating students, but also employees needing certifications or retraining, which higher education may also be able to provide through a number of strategies and partnerships. The following are some important considerations for developing robust learning and training ecosystems.

REPOSITIONING HIGHER EDUCATION


One of the keys for higher education is to reposition and redefine itself to effectively teach and train prospective students to meet the demands of corporate America. Some authors have referred to a “misalignment” between what higher education offers and what the business community needs from its workforce. In a blog post for Gallup titled "3 Ways to Realign Higher Education With Today’s Workforce," writers Jaimie Francis and Zac Auter point out: “Companies in major industries report that they are unable to grow and compete because they struggle to identify properly skilled talent: 49 percent report unfilled job openings, and 37 percent can't take on a new project or major initiative.”

In addition to repositioning, higher education should focus on forward thinking. What new technology skills are required for the future, and what curriculum and training will meet these needs? Some colleges and universities tend to focus on their existing technology program tracks, because growing new innovative programs can be difficult with limited staff, resources or available time. However, this focus on the status quo can create a lag between what technology courses are offered and when they are most needed by various industries. In an October 2023 piece for Training Industry, writer Joe Mitchell pointed out, “Aside from master of business administration (MBA) and other professional degree programs, colleges and universities often miss out on the growing market for post-college and workforce professional learning because the cycle of creating new courses lags behind advances in technology.”

CREATING PARTNERSHIPS


For higher education, there likely has never been a more crucial time to create strong business partnerships. Falling enrollments coupled with decreasing revenues and raising costs have major implications for many educational institutions. Partnerships with other institutions are still important, but to be able to offer additional programs for technology education and training, developing strong connections to business partners is critical.

There are many examples of educational institutions partnering with businesses, utilizing the technologies corporate America works with, and embracing an IT model that supports business needs. Arizona State University combined each of these themes in their UTO (University Technology Office) model, with the goal of “unleashing the modern IT workforce.” This impressive plan and practice can be reviewed in their ASU Enterprise Technology news feed.

Partnerships at smaller campuses are just as important, as they can serve an important niche market by offering credentialing opportunities rather than entire course programs. Spalding University in Kentucky, with a total enrollment of 1,555 undergraduate and graduate students, developed a partnership with the career-training company SkillStorm to provide easier access to credentialing programs. In a 2023 piece for the tech news website Fierce Network, Cecilia Buchanan wrote, “Spalding University recognized the increase in demand for tech skills and the need to cultivate qualified talent and addressed the issue through a partnership with SkillStorm.”

HIGHER ED AND CREDENTIALING


As colleges and universities investigate their ability to provide robust learning opportunities in AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, networking and software development, some prospective students and workers have turned to specific credentialing programs to further their workforce marketability. Besides colleges and universities, those are also available through large tech companies and private boot camps. Some of these credentialing agencies may be non-academic, but that does not mean they are not highly beneficial for some employees. As explained in December 2022 by reporter Sara Weissman for Inside Higher Ed, “Nonacademic providers, such as boot camps and apprenticeships, account for more than half of the credential options available nationwide.” She further paraphrased Shalin Jyotishi, senior analyst at New America, as saying it was not necessarily “bad news for higher education institutions but perhaps an opportunity for colleges and universities to partner with nonacademic providers.”

SKILLS THAT ARE NEEDED


When considering what skills students need to be successful in IT-related fields, the list can be divided into the categories of hard and soft skills. Certainly, some of today’s top hard-tech skills would include data science, programming, cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity and software development. For soft skills, one might include communications, project management, problem solving, leadership, management and ethics. Some or all of these skills could be taught in a traditional university environment, while others could be learned through credentialing and other training opportunities. Whoever provides the training must be well versed in both teaching and their field of expertise, have the necessary technological resources available, and have an eye on what skills the business sector is looking for in their employees. When companies partner with higher education institutions and send their employees “back to school” for training, the curriculum must match their current and future needs.

NEXT STEPS


For higher education to prepare itself for transformational change and an evolving workforce, it must first embrace change beyond technology. It must consider transforming its entire legacy digital ecosystem, ensure its staff and students are part of this change, and develop multiple partnerships with other educational institutions as well as with businesses. Institutions need to provide both short- and long-term training and credentialing to current campus students, as well as to prospective learners. Some suggest the institution should make itself into a dynamic education hub. In the aforementioned piece for Training Industry, Mitchell wrote, “Collaborative partnerships between education providers, businesses and training providers redefine the role of universities, making them pivotal players in building a workforce that thrives even amid economic flux.” The next step can be a big one, but in today’s job market, it might be one of the most important steps higher education institutions can take. As Lao Tzu stated, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Jim Jorstad is Senior Fellow for the Center for Digital Education and the Center for Digital Government. He is a retired emeritus interim CIO and Cyber Security Designee for the Chancellor’s Office at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He served in leadership roles as director of IT client services, academic technologies and media services, providing services to over 1,500 staff and 10,000 students. Jim has experience in IT operations, teaching and learning, and social media strategy. His work has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Forbes and NPR, and he is a recipient of the 2013 CNN iReport Spirit Award. Jim is an EDUCAUSE Leading Change Fellow and was chosen as one of the Top 30 Media Producers in the U.S.
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