For decades, earning a university degree was seen as the surest path to employment. Today, that assumption is being challenged as job markets demand more than classroom knowledge.
The global economy increasingly demands a skilled workforce capable of adapting to new technologies and practices.
In developing countries, traditional education systems often fail to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
As industries evolve, companies tend to seek graduates who can combine statistics and code, engineering and ethics, or public policy and economics.
According to Izu Nwachukwu, a senior lecturer, the University of Calgary, Canada; “Education should prepare people to live happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives.
“This can only be realised by tailoring the education system to encourage learning to learn and develop transferable skills. The intellectual quotient system of education is out-dated. Nigeria needs as a matter of urgency to switch to a competency based education system to meet up with the global community.
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Jagran Prakashan, a media conglomerate with interests spanning across printing and publications in its study reveals that a shift towards skill-based, learning, portfolios, and micro-credentials to represent real-world capability is required in the 21st century workplace because industries are evolving more quickly than curricula, leaving a large gap between academic theory and the practical, specialised skills employers require.
“The limitations of single-discipline degrees were revealed by the rise of data-driven decision-making, automation, climate challenges, and interdisciplinary problem-solving.”
Skills such as problem-solving skills, AI proficiency, and digital literacy, among others will lead the labour market demands.
Data science, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and multidisciplinary programmes are changing higher education narratives.
Experts emphasise the urgent need for academic and career programmes to adapt to the evolving demands of the job market, advocating for result-oriented degrees that equip graduates with practical skills and industry-relevant knowledge.
“If you’re going to have degrees, you’re going to have a degree with direction which requires thinking, and that will definitely give you an understanding about your destination with clarity, courage, and purpose,” they say.
In addition, the maintained that what really matters is what you can do with what you know, hence, every course of study is not just about mastering content, it’s about building capabilities.
Academic experts believe that the following emerging degrees are reshaping tertiary higher education Today such as Design, Technology and IT, Sustainability, Business Management, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Law and International Relations, among others.
Zahra Parker, an infectious disease public health scientist, emphasised that bridging the gap between education and employability demands students acquire some sort of experience in their career interest areas.
“As a student, you can go to school and have all the technical know-how, but you need to have practical experience that will make you attractive to an employer.
“The huge factor in bridging the gap is gaining hands-on and practical knowledge,” she said.
Jessica Osuere, the founder and chief executive officer at RubiesHub Educational Services noted that it is the disparity between expected skills and actual skills that has made many graduates unemployable.
“The major cause of the skills gap is the fact that our education system is unnecessarily certificated with more emphasis on theories than practical,” Osuere said.
Driven by digital transformation and global challenges, emerging courses are reshaping tertiary education with a strong emphasis on technology, healthcare, and interdisciplinary fields.
New trends like personalised learning. Hybrid models and micro-credentials are also changing how education is delivered.
It is believed that with Nigeria’s new curriculum, graduates’ skills-gap narratives in the workplace will change positively in the face of the global talent market undergoing unprecedented shifts influenced by technology, socio-economic changes and among others.
