Ashwani is the Managing Director for RICS School of Built Environment, India’s first and only school that is offering internationally accredited Postgraduate and Under-Graduate degrees in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Real Estate & Urban Infrastructure and Facilities Management. As the MD of the School, Ashwani is responsible for the overall direction, strategy, and growth of the RICS School of Built Environment in India.
The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the worldwide economy and carried vulnerability to the world job market and is changing the way we work.
Over the last year, we have seen a tremendous rise in demand for upskilling and online courses; a pattern that will proceed into one year from now. Students are inclined towards upgrading their skillset and ensuring that when the job market does open out, they are well equipped to get the best-paying jobs.
While most colleges have suspended classroom teaching, they in no way have stopped sessions and offering courses. They have found a safe and effective way of communication and teaching. With the convenience of attending classes while sitting in the comfort of your home surrounded by your family, it puts the students’ and parents’ minds at ease in these grave times.
1. Upskill for a Competitive Edge Over Your Peers
With the changing scenario in the world owing to the pandemic, the job market has taken a significant blow. Small and large companies are downsizing and are re-evaluating methods of cost-cutting. This means that most of them have frozen hiring as of now. Even those who are looking at hiring manpower are doing so on a short term basis or are asking candidates to compromise on packages.
Given that the situation does not look very promising, this is the best time to study to upgrade your skillset and be better prepared. For when the job market does open, you are bound to have an edge over your peers owing to your added educational knowledge.
2. Benefits of Learning New Technologies for Efficacy
With the increase in the use of technologies, students are finding their sessions more reciprocal and enhanced. There has been an increase in interactive technology, students are finding customised lesson plans and assignments effortless.
From simulations to VR, professors and teachers are finding new and exciting ways to challenge the mental capacity of students and help open their mind to a world of new possibilities.
3. Explore a Global Perspective
Get access to study material from across the globe. Interact with peers, professors, industry stalwarts, subject matter experts, alumni and much more all at the click of a button from the comfort of your desk at home.
Blended learning is being encouraged by institutions all over the globe and here in India as well.
New ways of delivery and assessments of learning opened immense opportunities for a major transformation in the area of curriculum development and pedagogy.
The education scenario has never seen such a boom in the rise of expanding your worldwide view of your field and gain added knowledge of global markets.
4. Take the Lead to Upskill and Succeed
With the onset of the global pandemic in 2020, one cannot help but re-evaluate their career plans & goals. Those of us who thought that getting an engineering degree would suffice, now need to re-evaluate and re-think their future options.
Currently, studying and enhancing your skills make more sense that looking for a job. Since most institutions are currently holding online classes, that gives you time to juggle between taking a part time internship so you can find the time to expand your horizons as much as possible.
If one is looking to advance their careers, you should remember that the job market, as and when it does open, will be highly competitive. Working on adding as much as possible to your portfolio will give you a jumpstart and help you stand out among the crowd. This will also increase your options in terms of the variety of roles you can undertake as you will be more versatile.
5. A Degree is a Degree No Matter What
There is some cynicism among parents who constantly wonder about online classes and if it is enough for a child to be able to learn all they can. While this concern is understandable, they need to also consider that at the end of the day, the degree and qualification a child receives remains the same and comes from the same prestigious institution they have admitted their children into.
While as humans it is our basic need to interact with each other in person, having online classes is so much less stressful for students. It saves them the time, effort and energy spent in staying away from home or even travelling to college daily. It puts their minds at ease as they are studying out of their comfort zone with their loved ones around. Their minds are peace and so will yours be knowing that they are at home.
So, while there is great merit in face-to-face learning, but online learning can also be as beneficial with the right ingredients so one should be open to either depending on how the external environment is.
In conclusion
If there is anything that a global pandemic has taught us, is that change is inevitable and the sooner we adapt, the faster we can move forward and extract what we can from the situation.
These are indecisive times and yet, this is the best time to study as education delivery has never been more engaging, interactive and immersive.