There is an ongoing debate with regards to the approach universities should take while preparing their students for the future. Many believe that universities should continue their focus on the development of traditional knowledge and critical thinking. On the contrary, some believe that universities should actively focus on equipping students with skills that they will need in the work place. While both viewpoints have their individual merit, I believe that in today’s day and age universities should focus on actively preparing students for the future rather than simply endowing them with textual knowledge.
The primary reason that I stand strongly with universities prioritising employment preparation is that academic knowledge and attaining a degree is no longer enough to be competitive in the work place, and as such students should be provided with an appropriate skillset so as to enter and participate in the workplace with confidence.
On the other hand, the value of traditional knowledge and development of critical thinking skills can not be overlooked as they are the basis of of any and all skills and exposure to higher level activities such as internships and mock job scenarios will remain incomplete without students having said skills.
To conclude, it is clear that both viewpoints, be it preparing students for employment or developing their knowledge base and critical thinking skills are fundamental in the process of preparing future proof students. Yet, it becomes clear that universities should actively focus on endowing students with the skillset that they will require to seek employment and function as efficient workers.