Education spotlight
Why we need to bridge the gap between the tech industry and academia
Graham Hunter, VP, Skills Certification at CompTIA discusses the changes needed to encourage the UK’s workforce to thrive in an increasingly technology and data-driven world and aspire to tech careers.
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t’s long been the case that more people are needed in the tech industry. One key issue in this regard is that there continues to be a gap
between industry and academia. Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to offer £3,000 ‘premiums’ to STEM teachers who are working in disadvantaged schools around the UK. Is this really enough to encourage more people into tech careers? Te answer that many tech professionals are arriving at is no. Te move is certainly a step in the right direction. However, it fails to sufficiently address the problem and heal this division. To truly solve the problem, a more concerted
and holistic approach towards inspiring young people into the tech sector is needed. Not only this, but the solution must have diversity at its core. Tere is a growing demand for high-quality teaching and
instruction across the education ecosystem. With these demands increasing, government and industry must work together to address this issue and level up the tech workforce. Te UK has unprecedented opportunity to build on its status as a tech superpower, and as a country setting the standard in diversity, but this can only happen by embracing this approach.
Curricula must align with industry needs One big issue that we’re currently seeing is a misalignment between
40 | March 2022
academia and industry demand. Tis is no secret; one need only look at the well-publicised tech skills gap to understand the scale of the issue. Too oſten, what is taught in educational institutions does not align with the needs of the industry. Tis runs directly counter to the fact that many students are entering the industry at the end of the education process. Tis creates a problem for both prospective employees and employers; without the necessary and appropriate skills, students will struggle to fulfil their potential within industry. A lack of trainers ultimately results in a lack of well-educated future professionals with the essential skills for
positions in specialist fields, such as cybersecurity. Tis mismatch between industry and academia, then, is an issue
that needs to be solved as soon as possible. If it is not addressed, students’ career pathways could be at risk of serious damage. Content delivery must be balanced with transferable, real-life skills. Ensuring that there is a mix between classroom and industry is the best way to make sure that students are best prepared to enter industry. Rather than focusing exclusively on content delivery, there must be a focus on hands-on training, training that prioritises growth, innovation and continuing professional development (CPD), even for vocational subjects. Without fully understanding the frankly desperate hiring solution within the tech industry, and the need for upskilling, the
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