Webinar on careers in the digital age highlights importance of being interdisciplinary

It was conducted by Digital University Kerala and The Hindu Education Plus as a part of the career counselling series

Seeking to push the boundaries of traditional understanding of what digital careers include, a webinar on ‘The emerging career opportunities in the digital age’ was organised by Digital University Kerala and The Hindu Education Plus as a part of the career counselling series.

As a part of the webinar, the panellists addressed the expectations and opportunities for work in the Industry 4.0.

Saji Gopinath, Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation And Technology set the stage by explaining the paradoxical situation in digital careers where there is a shortage of skilled labour, but there remain several unemployed graduates with science and technology education.

“1 in every 3 jobs created by 2050 will be for an Indian. If Indians are to adapt to Industry 4.0 changes, there must be a change in the way digital higher education is offered, he said. He drew from his expertise and pointed out that STEM education has to transform, to be interdisciplinary and hands-on.

“For this reason, the postgraduate programmes at Digital University Kerala make real industry experience a mandatory part of their digital education curriculum. Graduates must be billable from day 1 of joining a company,” he said.

The nature of digital careers in Industry 4.0 was further explained by Shruti George, who leads Sustainability and Innovation at Avery Dennison, Netherlands. She provided a glimpse into the exciting ways in which digital solutions operate in the packaging and supply chain industry. Echoing Dr. Saji Gopinath’s views, she said that the culture of digital careers was changing to prioritise sustainability and ethics in processes.

Both the panellists highlighted the importance of including humanities and social sciences in STEM higher education.

“A person who doesn't have a STEM education can still build a successful career in STEM industries as long as they develop strong problem-solving skills and are willing to learn constantly,” Ms. Shruti said.

The panellists also encouraged students and graduates considering digital careers to be interdisciplinary and unconventional in their choices.