If you ask an elderly what it was like working at their age, they will answer that a good degree promised a good job opportunity. The higher the degree, the higher the job will pay. The millennial who were taught this belief strived hard for further higher degrees and the result is catastrophic; we are the most educated yet highly unemployed generation of this age.
Degrees and skills are two of a kind. Skill vs. degree has been a hot debate for a long time. The present age demands a skill with a degree as well. But the question is which of each takes precedence? Let’s have a look at the need, importance and reasons of preference for one over the other.
Skill vs. Degree:
We all know that with the advancement in technology and different sectors evolving with the time, the nature of work has changed. Most of the work has been overtaken by machines and the rest involves technical know-how. The conventional education system has always focused on academic qualifications alone instead of focusing on skills and learning. One of the third parts of an individual’s life is spent in attaining degrees that now require validation through certain skills as well. What can be more ironic?
According to experts, studies have anticipated that the dilemma of skill vs. degree in 2023 will be settled with a winning crown over skills.
Why do I need a degree?
This is an often asked question; why do I need a degree? Although, we will highlight the fact ‘why the skills are important in this blog and ‘why skills should be preferred’, this does not mean we deny the importance of degrees. Knowledge comes from learning, reading, and experiencing. Apart from gaining knowledge, a degree boosts your confidence, accelerates your career, earns you social respect, and develops your personality. But there is a contrasting fact that you need to realize that a degree is not going to help you grow further in your skill. It is just a document that does not guarantee whether the person has the skill or not. You will have to supplement your degree by learning relevant and updated skills.
Why are skills important?
Oftentimes, we hear the employers declaring it’s all about skills, not degrees. And they are very correct. The world is changing and developing with every passing day. It requires learning new skills, not only for the sake of learning but for professional growth as well. The skill vs. degree debate is further resolved by the fact that your professional degree becomes obsolete due to the advancement and innovations in the relevant field. It becomes a must for you to acquire updated knowledge to cope with the competition of staying in line. Even if you have acquired a degree, you always need to update it by learning the relevant skill. This is how important skill.
What are the benefits of acquiring skills?
You must be contemplating, which side to take on between the skill vs. degree debate. Right? Well, the benefits of acquiring skills may help you decide how important skills are.
Skills help to distinguish yourself:
A college cannot teach you innovation, creativity and vision. It can give you the knowledge but it cannot give you the practical experience of a skill. Skills spark up your personality and add charisma and attractiveness. A skill can prove to be far more helpful to attract customers instead of crammed knowledge.
Skills develop a sense of achievement:
A job requirement contains a field of experience. A degree acquisition does not give you the experience. You will have to start from a lower scale and lower pay to build your work experience. Contrarily, acquiring skills includes hands-on experience as well as giving you a sense of achievement. What can be better than this? This highlights the fact that skills are important.
Skills develop your personality:
A good skill will always help you to grow your personality. It will develop your communication skills, and time management, and build team management. Moreover, it will further help you to improve your interpersonal skills.
Why do we need to learn new skills?
With the advancement in technology, learning new skills has become more of a requirement than a choice. There are a lot of plus points of learning new skills that we cannot deny. Skills are equally important for students as well as professionals helping to advance in their relevant careers. The saturation of degree holders is the biggest reason why we need to learn new skills.
Skills vs. Degrees – What will shape the future of work?
Since the COVID-19 epidemic, there has been a drastic change in the traditional hiring culture. The employers have rearranged their priorities from hiring the person equipped with the highest degrees to the one who is most qualified in skills. This is a healthy way to adjust the approach to further enhance the future. The ongoing debate of skill vs. degree in 2023 will be long gone when you will see the demand for skills everywhere. Whether it is soft skills or hard skills, both are equally important to acquire as both seem to be shaping the future. No doubt, a degree is the first step on the success ladder but it is not the only one. So, we should lay a great focus on developing and learning skills that can either supplement our degrees or can be pursued as a career.
PNY Trainings Institute is a well-known IT institute with multiple branches in the city of Lahore. We are striving hard to promote skill-based education in Pakistan. We aim to raise the awareness of creativity, innovation and the importance of skills. Therefore, we have designed a set of courses to encourage skill-based learning. We are offering multiple skill-based courses related to marketing, web development, designing, networking, e-commerce, IT & software, business & accounts and language etc. Recognize your interest and choose a course of your choice and develop the skills to smooth your way towards success.
