TERTIARY MATTERS: YOUR TEEN’S CAREER BEGINS ON CAMPUS

“People often look at the process of getting an education and developing a career as two separate life stages. Instead, young people should really be nurtured and encouraged to start building their careers from the time they step foot on campus,” says Shevon Lurie at Vega, a brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE), SA's largest and most accredited private higher education provider.

Lurie adds that along with a sound curriculum and solid reputation, the tertiary institution that the teen ends up choosing should also prioritise additional career-building opportunities and regular exposure to real-life industries.

A successful graduate is one who can hit the ground running as soon as they enter the working world, which is only possible when they have been exposed to a comprehensive and well-considered curriculum that is balanced with the cultural, political, social and economic circumstances of the time. Young people should be learning for life and not just for school – tomorrow’s leaders keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the world and how it affects their industry and themselves.

A good education also encourages students to learn more and pursue the option of entrepreneurship, giving them the tools they need to start their own businesses.

Parents should look into the courses their teens are interested in, ensuring that the qualification and institution they choose can help expand teens’ minds and prepare them for the real world. The IIE’s curricula, for instance, are benchmarked against local and international higher education qualifications.

Students should be learning skills and adopting perspectives that will help them land the jobs they want and deserve once they graduate. With South Africa’s unemployment rate at an extremely high level, with over half accounting for unemployed youth, it’s clear that more needs to be done at grassroots level to help young people build sustainable careers in the future.

According the World Economic Forum, complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity are considered the top three non-technical skills on CVs at the moment. These are not skills that can be taught overnight, but ones that students master over time, enabled and supported by the institutions, curriculums and lecturers at their chosen institution.

Theoretical learning simply isn’t enough when it comes to grooming progressive young minds – tertiary education needs to include practical elements too in order to give students real-world insights into their chosen fields.

Students who have the opportunity to engage with industry experts and to even tackle real-life briefs from real-world clients are more likely to build successful, meaningful careers in the future, making it important for institutions to build practical elements like these into curriculums.

Other valuable tertiary offerings for parents to look out for include industry immersions, where students are exposed to the work environments and its challenges during their studies. Through experiences like these, students gain the confidence they need to hold their own in everything from job interviews to client pitches.

International exchange programmes are also a mark of a forward-thinking tertiary institution that values global perspectives, as are opportunities for students to enter industry competitions and award platforms like the Loeries, D&AD, Pendorings, PromaxBDA and the Bookmarks.

Lurie says that lecturers also play a valuable role in students’ lives and careers. “Students who are taught by lecturers who are active in their respective industries are automatically given the edge over others. This is why Vega employs people who are not just qualified for the job but experts in their fields, who bring a wealth of experience to their roles at the school.”

"The time your teen spends on campus will determine their outlook on the future and their career prospects going forward. Make sure they put their best foot forward once their studies are complete by enrolling them in an institution that will provide an education that has a lasting impact."