How technology empowers students for tomorrow's workforce

Universities stand at the frontier of preparing the workforce for tomorrow — a landscape set to be enriched by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and technological advancements beyond our current scope of imagination. 

As the walls of traditional education shift, a new paradigm is emerging. Universities and technology partners are working together to help higher education institutions evolve into self-sustaining cities, bridging education, technology, and daily life for students, researchers, businesses, visitors and beyond. 

Image source: La Trobe University, Connected city of the future

Universities today are facing new pressures in how to teach students to think critically and transparently, citing difficulties determining originality or artificial augmentation (or plagiarism) of work. At the same time, they're also under increasing fiscal pressures to their traditional business model. In both cases, they hope to become more efficient, more scalable and optimised, smarter, and more globally competitive. 

Universities know that in order to attract, retain and motivate students — the largest cohort of whom right now are Gen Z, digital natives who grew up in a world of ubiquitous technology — they must create 'new' courses and 'new' campuses. 

Historically, the largest attraction many universities offered students centred around their physical infrastructure and environment, especially in lecture theatres, tutorial rooms and social spaces. But now, students are beginning to experience the benefits of working in a myriad of available spaces, including those centred outdoors. This presents a great opportunity for campuses who have strong partnerships with mobile network providers — connecting students and whole classes to their lecture materials anywhere, anytime, whether it be indoors or outdoors, in a mobile-first manner.

As this new era of higher education unfolds, we see opportunities for universities to transcend their conventional roles, becoming instances of self-sustaining (and sustainable) cities. Institutions such as La Trobe University are already seeking to integrate diverse elements — residential zones, healthcare precincts, retail spaces, and transport facilities into their current and future campus planning. This extends even into administration and support services. See video below on how Optus delivered on La Trobe University's contact centre transformation.

A growing part of this project encompasses the role of AI, 5G and advancing technologies in information gathering, automation, and delivery of efficient services. These technologies will make this and any "university city of the future" prosper. Perhaps even more importantly than the overall operational benefits, they will also make the experience of living and studying personalised and differentiated.

In terms of course creation, the speed in which universities can change curricula is part of their biggest challenge in creating universities suited for digital natives and the workforce of the future. 

The first challenge here is the length of time between the release of, for example, a report on future job opportunities and growth in AI, and the ability for universities to have a fully-tested, verified, approved course or curriculum ready for students to undertake. This is a process that could easily take up to 18 months, when taking into account regulatory assessment alongside course content creation. Yet the AI industry is evolving every few weeks. 

The speed at which new technologies are transforming the way we live, work, play and study is accelerating at a much quicker rate than the universities can create courses to meet demand. Furthermore, as some studies are beginning to highlight, not all digital natives are alike in skill, as many suffered gaps in their theoretical and interpersonal learning during the pandemic. 

To that point: the second piece of this challenge revolves around the fact that courses such as these are strongly oriented around technical competency — but there is a lack of adaptation regarding how students then take these skills and theories and apply them in a day-to-day workplace. 

Some employers (like Optus) and higher education institutions are beginning to offer micro-credentials and short courses to fill these gaps. But the larger universities have traditionally focused on undergraduate and postgraduate studies throughout centuries of teaching, moving into fast-paced micro-credentials is a very different world for them with a new set of challenges and learnings. 

Image source: Adobe Stock

Experts cannot say for sure what all students will be studying, or even how they will be studying, five years from now. The desktop and even the laptop may have been replaced by not only mobile-first, but mobile-only study environments. 

What we do know for sure is that campuses and their residents will have increased demand around higher speed services, low latency, and real-time delivery across content and applications. 

Optus has always been proud to be a significant and strong partner for higher education, leveraging our historical expertise, technological investments, and profound insights into workforce needs across many industries, including our own. Our advice to educational leaders reinforces the necessity of robust infrastructure, simplification through reducing duplication and complexity, swift identification of immediate wins, investing for long-term sustainable success and an unwavering commitment to a student-first approach. 

As systems evolve, universities need to consider investing into platforms that can serve multiple requirements across the campus as opposed to duplicating investments. Identifying quick wins that have relatively-immediate impacts will win over hearts and minds, and allow strong foundations for more long-term projects. Proof-of-concept trials, pilots and prototypes can be of much-needed assistance in this area, and Optus is well-equipped to kickstart the ideation and deployment of these. 

The constant evolution of technology demands forward thinking. Campuses must remain future-proof, anticipating needs that might transcend current technological norms, especially when it comes to hyperconnected environments and fostering collaboration to shape future industries.

In a world shaped by technological dynamism - simplification, strategic investments, and swift wins underpin progress — as does embracing a student-first approach to understand and deliver to the needs of digital native learners and employees of industries that have yet to be born. Universities that adapt swiftly and strategically will lead the transformation into the future.

Further information

If you would like to continue this conversation further, please reach out to your Optus Account Manager, contact us here for a call back or phone 1800 555 937.

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