Skilling and reskilling students for relevance in a 4IR economy

Abstract

The disruptive nature of technologies such as artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing nanomaterials and robotics has decidedly made the workplace of the future more complex, with traditional skillsets falling short in addressing the demands of the 4IR era. The authors discuss the need for current tertiary students to be skilled for futuristic, technology driven jobs in a 4IR economy. This paper examines the current school curriculum, vis-a –vis the literature on what the 4IR economy requires of its workforce. We submit that the current curriculum for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses at most South African universities do not align with skills requirements for a 4IR economy. A methodical, structured literature review was conducted for the purpose of this research. The PRISMA framework was employed to select the relevant literature for the study. After screening and elimination of articles, 26 sources remained and were included in the study. The study proposes four critical success factors that government can adopt in order to formulate strategic and sustainable plans to ensure that students are appropriately skilled and positioned to operate in a competitive 4IR economy once they graduate. The literature reveals a disjuncture between the current STEM curriculum and the required skillset required in a 4IR economy. The challenge leads to a state of unpreparedness of students in handling the fast approaching revolution in skills demand. The authors also found that soft skills, ideation, creativity and problem solving, which are not taught at school are critical for the workforce of the future. Probable solution to the skills gap challenges is the implementation of content knowledge, incorporated with experiential techniques. This will lead to the shift from the institutions of higher education to the individuals through investing in skilling and reskilling students in practical ways. Future research should focus on how government, Industry and academia can effectively collaborate in ensuring that students are trained to apply content knowledge in creative ways which can solve many of the continent’s problems. The findings reveal that government must work closely with academia and industry towards the goal of graduating skilled, employable graduates in the 4IR economy. Future research will investigate the extent to which students are being skilled by faculty to face future challenges.

Readings in Philippine History as GEC: 4IR Ready?.docx

“…Nevertheless, despite the congruence among the WEF top 10 skills needed in 2025 and the specific learning competencies in Readings in Philippine History, the analysis of strategies for teaching, instructional materials used, and the assessment of learning indicated in the university-approved syllabus confirms the said GEC core subject has still to satisfy the most important feature of 4IR which is the use of digital technology. This is affirmed by the literature implying the same situation in selected countries like South Africa, Vietnam, and Japan (Chung et al, 2022;Olaitan & Mavuso, 2022;Oliver, 2022). To fill in the gaps in terms of readiness of the higher education institutions, strategies were identified like adopting an innovation-driven model (Chung et al, 2022), conducting intensive curricula review (Olaitan & Mauso, 2022), and exploring practical leadership and partnership among stakeholders (Oliver, 2022).…”

Societal factors impacting young Black men in South Africa

“…Debates on technology's role in employment persist. Olaitan and Mavuso (2022) call for aligning South African STEM education with disruptive technologies, emphasising soft skills and collaboration between government, industry, and academia. In contrast, Le Ludec et al (2023) reveal AI's influence on labour distribution, expanding labour outsourcing to low-income countries like Madagascar, highlighting the need to consider technology's global employment impact.…”

Readiness of Graduates from Ugandan Higher Institutions of Learning for Work in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

“…As these transformations reshape various aspects of life, including work and education, they present both significant challenges and opportunities for education systems (Smith, 2021). In the quest to align education with the demands of the evolving 4IR economy, Olaitan and Mavuso (2022) highlight an early recognition of misalignment between the existing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curricula and the skills required by the 4IR economy. This disparity underscores the potential for graduates to lack the relevant competencies needed to thrive in the changing work landscape.…”

“…This disparity underscores the potential for graduates to lack the relevant competencies needed to thrive in the changing work landscape. Olaitan and Mavuso (2022) and Adnan et al (2021) suggest that current curricula may not adequately prepare students for the impending 4IR. This lack of alignment becomes particularly pronounced in fields like engineering, accounting and business management, where rapid technological advancements threaten the relevance of traditional skill sets.…”