Is the University system becoming outdated?

Only the most intellectual and capable humans could go to University, get a higher education, and then get employment in an above-average-paying field. Today, you can make money through many different avenues. You could get a trade, licensing to work heavy machinery, online selling, blatant hard work, etc. This begs the question, is the University system becoming outdated?

I went to University for four years and graduated with a teaching degree. I love teaching; here in Australia, the pay is excellent, the holidays are sensational, and we have outstanding resources and support. However, being so great has flaws, such as teacher oversupply, leading to a struggle to find available positions for work.

Is it worth it?

A few years into my teaching, my friend, whose skills were in the labour-intensive field, conducted a 2-day small-trucks licensing course and, not long after, started delivering items. He worked significantly more extensive hours than me; however, when he showed me his pay slip, I questioned why I had gone to University for four years. $50,000 earned (after tax) in 6 months! He made more than me with only a 2-day training, some extra labour, and the additional perk of being a permanent employee. In my perspective, it beats four years of study and maybe a job afterwards.

It doesn’t stop there! Trade workers are paid, albeit minimally, during their apprenticeship, but it is still something. And to further make you question the plausibility of a University degree, all you need to do is listen to a Jordan Belfort podcast. You will hear how people are becoming multi-millionaires just by learning from short online courses and webinars designed by people who have achieved success.

We live in an age of information and can learn whatever we want! By sitting on a bench and searching through a smartphone, we can listen to podcasts, read articles and watch YouTube videos. There are so many ways to gather information!

Why is University becoming outdated?

I was involved in an ‘innovation in schools’ professional development course. It detailed how schooling was based on an old industrial-age model, designed for students to go to school and learn just enough to work in a factory. Times have changed (in most countries), have they not?

The host of the PD gave the following alarming statistics:

Generation X and prior will have one primary skill leading to one career focus for their life.
Generation Y is most likely to have around four different career changes in their lifetime.
Current generations are predicted to have approximately ten career changes over their lifetime.

Put this into a future-university perspective. One where someone needs to study for four years to gain the required skills to work within that industry. Or the 1-2 years for some post-graduate degrees. How does someone mean to leave their current employment and limit their income to study and gain the required skills for that time?

Understandably, professions such as becoming a doctor and those attending University between the ages of 18 and 22 need extensive study and practical learning. But how about studying something like sales? Many online short courses and YouTube videos teach you how to be a persuasive salesperson. In teaching, I can guarantee that my four years of study taught me minimal about teaching. Most of my learning came from on-the-job experience. I believe a better path into teaching is with a mixture of study, placements, and working as a teacher support. With those experiences, teachers are better equipped to teach.

What can Universities do to change?

To avoid dropping in value and becoming outdated, Universities must develop methods that cater to future generations’ perceived career changes. They will need to ensure the courses allow faster learning that doesn’t require ending current employment. The University will also need to ensure that a person is capable of and deserving of the certification.

Some methods Universities may try:

Courses are online and based on goal setting and full independence. A person should be able to go online and complete a task in their own time. The faster they complete their course, the quicker they get their certificate.
Offer credits from internships and previous working experience. There is nothing worse than wasting your time doing a project on something you already know and experience. Perhaps a course can be more personalised. A test/interview is conducted. The skills you know will be proven. Then, only focus on what is needed to be learned.
Offer and credit short courses that other professionals in that field design. For example, if someone wishes to study a sales degree and has already completed the “Straight-line Theory” by Jordan Belfort, that should be credited. Or better, the University can offer to run that course.

The list can go on. No method is foolproof. However, the University system needs to be updated.

Please comment on your thoughts and let us know if you have any other recommendations for improving Universities.