Urgent Call for Change: Serhiy Tokarev on Why Businesses Must Partner with the State to Transform Education Today
By 2030, one in every sixteen workers may need to change their profession, and advances in technology could lead us to acquire multiple specializations throughout our lives. This was the topic discussed by Serhiy Tokarev, tech entrepreneur and co-founder of the investment group Roosh, in his op-ed for Ekonomichna Pravda.
“The concept of lifelong learning is becoming a necessity, not a choice. Moreover, the traditional approach to education will need to evolve if universities want to produce graduates that meet the market’s demands, and businesses want to hire them,” Tokarev explains.
He notes that education is already lagging behind the needs of businesses, which is understandable given that updating university curricula is a complex and time-consuming process. However, with the rapid pace of technological advancement, the gap between the skills taught in educational institutions and the requirements of businesses is only set to widen.
Serhiy Tokarev highlights that the gap between education and business needs can be narrowed through collaboration and knowledge sharing. After all, both parties have a common goal: the state aims to produce graduates who meet market demands, while businesses seek to strengthen their teams with qualified professionals.
The entrepreneur suggests several ways businesses can work with universities and vocational institutions.
Helping state universities create relevant programs and generate demand for certain specializations. Sharing the most popular methodologies and work approaches, providing access to essential tools and technologies, and outlining the soft skills expected from candidates in specific fields. After all, businesses are best positioned to know what employees they need today and which roles will be critical in the future. Another option is to invest in private educational institutions.
Maximizing the strengths of universities. As the requirements for specialists evolve, soft skills have become just as important as hard skills in candidate selection. Universities are ideally suited to develop soft skills through their communities. Students already learn, directly or indirectly, how to communicate, engage with different people, defend their ideas, and speak in public. It is essential to expand this list to include the soft skills that are vital today for building a successful career and personal growth.
Creating their own educational projects. The idea of learning once for a lifetime no longer applies in many fields, and that number is only growing. New tools and technologies emerge daily, requiring ongoing education. “Advanced training courses” allow businesses to identify specialists with foundational knowledge in a particular field, teach them the latest industry practices, and recruit the best talent. Alternatively, companies can help individuals without experience learn the skills needed for roles where there is a critical shortage of professionals.
Dual education. This approach combines theoretical knowledge provided by educational institutions with hands-on experience gained during internships at companies. It not only saves resources on retraining and reduces adaptation time but also allows employers to observe potential candidates in action. No test or technical interview can provide as much insight into a candidate’s abilities as their work on real-world projects.
Fully tapping into the potential of vocational schools. Vocational institutions today often lag behind universities in reputation, despite their core focus on practical skills rather than academic research. Many modern professions require practical expertise that can be mastered in one to two years, not four. Therefore, it would be absolutely logical for vocational schools to train developers, web designers, and illustrators who, upon graduation, have the essential skills to start working immediately in their chosen fields.
Serhiy Tokarev also emphasizes that automation, rapid technological advancements, and the rise of AI are creating an incredible number of potential new untapped niches and opening up opportunities that have not been available for a long time. And it is crucial for Ukrainians to seize these opportunities effectively.
“Relevant education is the foundation to making the most of the opportunities emerging from today’s technological progress. And the sooner businesses and the state collaborate, the better our chances of success,” Serhiy Tokarev concludes.