To prepare them for a world after graduation, colleges must teach students about the constantly changing technologies that will be part of their world – as well as older skills like professional person-to-person communication.
That was the assessment of Miami Dade College - Hialeah Campus President Georgette Perez and Southeastern College Campus President Marcela Munera. The pair spoke about the role higher education plays in creating a workforce for a changing world when they addressed September’s Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Chamber member Miguel Garcia hosted a panel discussion and asked the two women about how they are preparing students in a way that will benefit local businesses.
“We are responsible as educators to provide all of you business owners with on-the-job ready graduates,” Munera said.
“What we want to do is to make sure that they leave classroom with a skillset, but they’re also training for the job they graduated for.”
Perez said that as society evolves, it meets those needs through the education and training colleges provide.
“I know a good topic is AI … It’s moving faster than any of us can even imagine,” Perez said. “Being able to keep up with the needs of the community, the needs of the workforce, that’s very much a part of our role.”
Perez is staying ahead of the changing world to better prepare their students or even professionals who return to seek more training from their institutions. It’s important to try to anticipate some of the changes that may come to make sure their students are well prepared.
Students may be good at learning, but they need to know how to practically apply the knowledge they have gained. “It’s why internships are so important,” Perez said
In addition to technological changes, the pair also agreed that young people need help working on communication and intrapersonal skills. In an increasingly digital age, that’s not always something that comes naturally.
“Communication is always important whether it be verbal, oral, written - they need to carry on conversation,” Perez said.
Munera talked about how students train to be able to communicate once they enter the workforce.
“What we keep hearing is common sense, talking to a customer, providing customer service, those are key areas we hear when speaking with employers,” Munera said.
At Southeastern College, they bring the employers to the college so students can hear what skills they should be working on.
Both women discussed the importance of those skills to ensure that the next generation of workers if ready for a changing world.
The Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce will next meet at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 14, visit miamilakeschamber.com to register.