Audacious Social Entrepreneur Needed
M2 Coach Podcast – An Audacious Social Entrepreneur Needed
BIG DISRUPTION IS LOOKING FOR AN AUDACIOUS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR – IS ANYONE LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY?
Automation and artificial intelligence have been conservatively reported as eliminating approximately 30 percent of all jobs in developed countries before 2032 (15 years’ time). I personally think this figure is totally underestimating what will happen. The worst affected will be manual/blue collar and any repeat process-type jobs. Current thoughts are that a robot or automated machine will, on average, take the jobs of five people. What this will mean is people with a better education will be better prepared to adapt and transfer their skills and competencies into new areas, while people that have only learnt on the job will find it significantly more difficult to find jobs and the ability to earn a good living.
To counter this, we need to increase and broaden the education of our kids and, in fact, anyone currently under 50 years old. We need to seriously make a step change now! We have seen significant increases in student debt and the cost of a university qualification over recent years. This is at the same time as an unprecedented period of increased availability of free information on every subject imaginable, all on the internet. Surely there is a way to offer a free online university education using existing lecture scripts, notes supported with reading lists and online student group aggregated tutorials. These learning sites could be funded using a Google-type model with paid advertising. Validation or competence measurement could be done by a government-funded body at a tiny fraction of the cost of what they currently spend contributing to the tertiary education process. This could even be done via existing university brands.
Under such a system, many university lecturers would need to move to a self-employed status and could sell their services like personal trainers. They would market themselves to students wanting personal support or small work-group mentoring. The dedicated and self-motivated student would be free to create their own collaborations and work without personal tutors, effectively making higher education available to everyone for free. Currently New Zealand universities hold extensive portfolios of buildings and land in all of our main cities, in addition, many have numerous campuses and significant buildings offering student accommodation. They advocate that students travel to their campus multiple times throughout the week to attend a lecture in large theatre-type rooms or to study in the library. The lectures are compilations of prepared information covering a series of topics as prescribed and required to achieve competence, specific for each degree or qualification.
These educational institutions have decades of accumulated history and status and contribution, and of course are supported by their respective alumni. This model was necessary pre-live streaming, connectivity through fast broadband and the prerequisite student ownership of highly capable digital devices. Every student studying in NZ needs to have a computer and internet access, but universities still deliver live lectures on hundreds of standard subjects in multiple locations and repeat this process each semester. This is as absurd as if everyone living in Auckland all travelled to the Aotea Square each night at 6pm to hear Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie read the news. The vast cost to fund and maintain the infrastructure and supporting employees of our universities may be necessary under the current model, but is it the best way to educate our population going forward?
The irony is that our universities (with some of the best-educated minds) to date have pursued the same model that has led to the escalating cost of a university education. Can they not see this isn’t sustainable? Are they in denial about a reality change that will mean the demise of all late adopters?
A paradigm shift is required right now if we are to have any chance to prepare people for a change, so they are equipped to replace their current job. If the challenge of reducing the costs of education for all excites you, then get started on this opportunity today.
MARK COLLINS is a specialist food service and hospitality Business advisor. markcollinsnzltd.co.nz