Education vs. Training – What is College For?
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“You shouldn’t go to a four-year residential institution to get trained. You should go to a four-year residential institution to get an undergraduate education that is the foundation of the next 40 or 50 years of your life.”
The quote referenced above came from John Hennessy, the President of Stanford University as a part of an interview at this year’s All Things D conference where he took the stage with Salman Khan. The full video is posted at the end of this blog post.
When I first heard this quote, I had to back the video up and listen to it again. It sounded incredulous. College is not about training? As I replayed it, I realized that what he was saying is true. If the primary purpose for attending college is to get training in order to get a job, then it’s a huge waste of time and money.
No Degree, No Job
There is clearly a disconnect in many people’s minds about the purpose of college. I would imagine most people would say that the reason to attend college is to get a good job. The institutions, as clearly stated by Mr. Hennessy, see their purpose in an entirely different light. They are there to educate.
The other issue is that most of the better paying jobs have as their first requirement a college degree. If degrees are not pursued as training for a job, then why are they the primary gatekeeper on the best jobs?
The true value of a degree to a prospective employer is not to prove that all knowledge about how to perform that job has already been attained (training), but rather that one has learned how to learn (education).
Another Way to Credential
As discussed in the video, the idea of micro-credentialing seems to provide a path through the current dilemma. In thinking about this further, I recalled my experience in taking the CPA exam not long after graduating from college. I took the exam with hundreds of other students, none of which went to school where I did. It was an objective test of the knowledge required to be called a CPA. Furthermore, if one passes the CPA, there are requirements in continuing professional education (CPE) in order to maintain the certification.
The model for becoming a CPA provides an excellent template for how micro-credentialing could work in the future. Standards are defined for a given field, and those wishing to enter that field can obtain specific credentials to demonstrate knowledge of the material (and, I would argue, the ability to learn).
How It Would Work
Imagine applying for a position as a software engineer, more specifically as a machine-learning engineer. Knowledge of how to build web pages, or work with user interface design technologies would be irrelevant. An applicant could take an exam that helps to demonstrate aptitude in the key areas required for the position, administered by a credentialing organization. The applicant could then have credentials to share with the prospective employer that get them past the HR department screening.
Of course, the interview process would expose the applicant’s true knowledge of the subject matter. The obstacle presented by the HR department, however, would have been eliminated by objective measures. The applicant knows the material. Whether or not they are a good fit is still answered in the interviews.
Defining the Standards
Just as there are standards for accounting, there can be standards for fields like computer science or even writing. Educational institutions could work together with the private sector to define standards and how to test for them.
Furthermore, because of the tremendous technology available, knowledge of those standards could be tested and measured in very granular ways. Much like on Khan Academy, the employer can understand exactly where the applicant is strongest and what areas to expect some weakness.
Getting On With It
There is tremendous inertia facing any sort of effort to move down this road. The system currently in place has been around for a long time, and it’s comfortable. It’s also not going to last.
If there is no desire to have the residential, on-campus experience ( and go $100k in debt or more), why shouldn’t there be an objective way to measure competency in a given field?
The CPA exam provides a model that works. There are probably others as well. What will be interesting is to see how the current institutional hierarchy adapts as the ground starts to shift underneath them.
Did you go to college to get a job or an education? Would you have chosen a different path if it had been available?
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