/ 26 May 2017

Full steam ahead: The winning skills combination for career success today

The arts may be essential in bringing innovative thinking to students in more rigid fields
The arts may be essential in bringing innovative thinking to students in more rigid fields

Two decades after the acronym Stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) became commonplace in conversations around competitive skills for career success, the global focus has shifted from Stem to Steam — the “A” representing the arts.

This expanded perspective on what’s critical to economic growth is an important one, particularly for students and professionals in the midst of strategic career planning.

US-based organisation Steam not Stem cites four main reasons they believe the arts is a crucial addition to the Stem formulation:

  • Arts education is key to creativity;
  • Creativity is an essential component of, and spurs on, innovation;
  • Innovation is necessary to create new industries in the future; and
  • New industries, along with the jobs they bring, are the basis of our future economic wellbeing.
  • Detractors argue the arts adjunct will distract education policymakers and curriculum designers from the all-important focus on Stem education, which is where global skills shortages are currently highest.

    As a recent post from online magazine Slate points out, however: “The Steam movement isn’t about spending 20% less time on science, technology, engineering, and math to make room for art. It’s about sparking students’ imagination and helping students innovate through hands-on Stem projects. And perhaps most importantly, it’s about applying creative thinking and design skills to these Stem projects so that students can imagine a variety of ways to use Stem skills into adulthood.”

    Closer to home, what exactly does that look like on the ground? In South Africa, we’re seeing the rise of three fields of study and practice that speak to this unique combination of technology and the arts:

    UX Design

    Users today find themselves more than three decades into the digital revolution. Your average household computer has capabilities that far exceed even the most sophisticated supercomputers of the last century.

    So, how is it possible that users, most of whom never received any sort of formalised computer literacy training, can use these complex devices every day for multiple purposes?

    Enter the user experience (UX) designer: a technological artist whose responsibility is to stay ahead of the curve for the experience of countless users, spanning every corner of the globe, using a mixture of readily available devices to perform a large selection of objectives. This is all managed on platforms that evolve at an exponential rate, according to design principles that are constantly in flux.

    Digital marketing management

    There’s an old adage in the advertising industry that says that 50% of the money you spend works and the other 50% doesn’t. The problem is nobody can pinpoint exactly where that money is spent well and where it is wasted. The beauty of the online marketing environment is you can see exactly what your ad spend is doing for you. Which is why creatives who are skilled in the more technical areas of digital marketing are more likely to advance to management roles faster right now.

    Technopreneurship

    The combination of technological innovation with sound entrepreneurial understanding is perhaps one of the most powerful and profitable tools in the current knowledge-based global economy. But at the moment, the vast majority of technological startups and ventures fail because they lack the tools and expertise needed to bring their idea to fruition, or to create the market value they require to be sustainable.

    As the name implies, technopreneurship aims to teach its students how to be innovators and entrepreneurs who specialise in the projectised application of technology-based systems in unique and commercially viable endeavours.

    Accelerated study options amplify Steam careers

    “Online short courses have become the preferred option for students seeking to explore career options without having to commit to a full length of study,” says Thelmé Janse van Rensburg, chief of talent at Cape Town and UK-based online education company GetSmarter.

    “By providing iterative learning opportunities, backed by some of the world’s leading universities, students can explore possible career paths through online short courses that are workplace-aligned, as a supplement to their undergraduate studies, or even as something to do during a gap year to help inform tertiary study and career path choices.”

    Visit getsmarter.com to browse a diverse portfolio of over 60 university-approved continuing education online short courses