For instance, there are very good lessons of the 19th century, which shook and changed the world for better or worse. Some are regrettable events that should be noted and forgotten while many others should be cherished and glorified. Great and unprecedented economic strides were achieved in Britain in the 19th century.
When teaching us how Britain became an industrial giant- the workshop of the world, as they put it, historians attribute this remarkable feat to two critical factors. The first one was the Western expansionist policy, which resulted in the building of an extensive empire overseas and the subsequent exploitation of human and natural resources to produce goods and services to feed both domestic and global markets. One must hasten to note the era of imperialism has no room in the modern civilised world and therefore cannot be glorified or replicated. It’s a history that cannot be allowed to rear its ugly head. The second factor, a good part worth repeating, was a careful investment into skills and knowledge. This means the West particularly placed a high premium on what was going in the classroom to ensure its relevance to then changing the economic landscape.
In their wisdom the British anchored the industrial revolution and subsequent developments on human capital. To achieve this end, huge investments went into the technology required to facilitate industrialisation and sustain the momentum of development beyond the life of natural resources. The pacesetters of the industrial revolution were fully conscious of the limitations of overreliance on exploitation of natural resources and responded with a sustainable ‘economic insurance plan’. They discovered early enough that investment, trade and industry are the very lifeblood of any economy and fully recognised the duty that education can play to support the same, not least by ensuring that the best human resources are available to succour the continuing development. This is the undeniable beauty of history.
Apart from law, the study of history at the time when my generation pursued it, was one of the most prestigious routes a student could ever choose. There was no struggle for opportunities. Two routes were open. It was a case of picking up one’s preferred route from the shelf. One was the route of becoming a fully-fledged university professor – but here achievement of top notch grades was prerequisite and consequently many were called but few were chosen (Matthews 22:14).
The second route, which absorbed many historians, was deployment to a secondary school and many settled for the latter with a sense of pride. But the world has since changed dramatically. The economies all over the world, especially in struggling developing countries, can no longer afford to provide jobs to all people seeking opportunities. There is gap between the labour market and education, which needs to be closed urgently. Education systems are now compelled to stop training in vacuum but to focus on satisfying the ever demanding labour market. The tragedy of the moment is that some graduates holding irrelevant training continue to swell the ranks of the unemployed.
To address the challenge of unemployment or underemployment, there is an urgent need for a closer scrutiny of the career choices and programme of study that students choose upon completion of high school. In the past love was enough to determine one’s choice of a programme of study. But today employability is the most overriding factor. From an academic point of view, the study of any humanities programme may be an attractive option but in terms of enhancing chances of employment, the field is lagging behind.
But nobody can close doors to those who still love to pursue academically prestigious, albeit vocationally unhelpful subjects. Because people should continue to exercise free will – the right to pick and choose what they like, perhaps the option of studying law or enrolling at a university to train as a priest will always remain open for those who still need it. The ball now is in the courts of students desiring to pursue post-secondary courses to make a choice between vocational and academic routes looking at opportunities that each side has to offer. Choosing between the two cannot be a simple and easy exercise. Peer pressure can cloud judgement. Sometimes students are tempted to settle for the so-called high sounding courses simply because many friends are going that route. It is important for one to remain firm and true to self and now yield to external pressures.
Parents too should let their children to decide their career pathways based on competence. Parental guidance is needed but this should not take the form of dictating terms to children. There are perceptions too that students have to contend with. The perceptions have over the years dented the image of the technical and vocational route making it appear like a no-go-area.
The perception that the technical way is for those who have been rejected by the academic world is unhelpful. This is not about competition between the academic and vocational worlds. It is about settling for a programme of study that is aligned to one’s abilities and one that would match the requirements of the labour market or pave the way for entrepreneurship. The perception that the technical and vocational route is less rewarding and less prestigious is a baseless and unfounded story, long overtaken by events. The world is now technologically driven and students should move with times and accept the men and women in overalls just like their counterparts in white collar jobs are the engine of economic development and therefore, worthy of some modicum of respect. As economic imperatives dictate, a large proportion of students should consider turning in the direction of vocationally inclined programmes.
