Dual certification: A right and wrong way
Often referred to as the best way to build a strong and sustainable career in today’s competitive environment, dual certification is admittedly a great way to prepare yourself in an increasingly competitive world, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this.
Generally, dual certification implies the study of two or more subjects instead of just one.
The best thing about dual certification is that in a country obsesses with getting a degree, it provides necessary, on-the-job practical, contemporary education, often with the involvement of industry players.
These certificates can then be clubbed with the degree offered by the traditional players in education. Usually it is something the student chooses at the undergraduate level.
By choosing to expand into other areas of education, students increase their marketability. The biggest benefit of pursuing dual certification is simply to make oneself more employable upon graduation.
Landing a job is all about maximizing the number of opportunities. With two certifications, students open themselves up to double the number of open positions.
As per the India Skills Report 2018, 8.11% employers suggest that very few job seekers possess the required skills and thus contribute to employability shortfall.
Experts believe that as touted elsewhere, there are no shortages of jobs; it is just that the students do not have the required skills to get into new-age jobs.
Since the students get to study for different courses in a dual certification course, which have an almost similar academic calendar, the students also get to work with industry colleagues and also selected academic skills development institutions to help improve the quality and quantity to create a more employable workforce, thereby giving back to the industry.
For example, Aptech Diploma Certificates are mapped to Level 5 of an education qualification framework which enables the student to transfer their credits and get lateral entry admission to the final year of their BSC honors course at any of their campuses in London, Dubai, Mauritius and Malta.
THE UNDERSTANDING THUS FAR IS:
Skills-based education is not a prime option.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are the new buzzwords and rapid up-skilling and re-skilling are being sought by employees eager to stay relevant.
A routine degree or even a post-graduate degree, unless backed by relevant education, updated course curriculum, and industry experience, is a piece of paper.
While India is changing, the world is changing even faster. The difference between education-driven employment and employment-driven education is critical to understanding the skills gap.
The gap between employment and employability is a very present concern.
The amalgamation of traditional education with skillsbased education is the need of the hour. At times, traditional education is important for students who wish to study further with further careers in research as the primary motive, or for the sake of knowledge for knowledge sake. Here, only certificates or diplomas, especially in India’s current education system, may not allow entry into postgraduate courses.
New private universities are helping students to become job-ready by offering dual certification in partnership with training companies which are industry-led and powered by updated curricula.
The author is vicepresident of education and training company Aptech