Sergey Tokarev about Business and State Partnership to Transform Education

By 2030, one in every sixteen workers may need to change their profession.

05:38 29 October 2024

By 2030, one in every sixteen workers may need to change their profession. Meanwhile, technological advancement can lead us to acquire multiple specializations throughout our lives. To keep pace with technology, one should polish up their skills that state universities do not cover.
On the other hand, educational institutions need to evolve their programs to meet business needs. Sergey Tokarev, tech entrepreneur and co-founder of the investment group Roosh, shared insights on how to transform education.

Gap between businesses and state education

According to Sergey Tokarev,education is already lagging behind the needs of businesses. To improve this issue, universities should update their curricula, which is a complex and time-consuming process. However, with the rapid pace of technological advancement, the gap between the skills taught in educational institutions and the requirements of businesses is only expanding.

“The concept of lifelong learning is becoming a necessity, not a choice. Moreover, the traditional approach to education will need to evolve if universities want to produce graduates that meet the market’s demands, and businesses want to hire them,” notes the investor. 

Sergey Tokarev shares that only a tight collaboration and knowledge sharing between education and business can narrow the gap. Anyway, both parties have a common goal: the state aims to produce graduates who meet market demands, while businesses seek to strengthen their teams with qualified professionals.

Steps to improve IT education

The businessman pointed out several steps on how both parties can contribute to enhancing education.

• Participate in program creation and generate demand for certain specializations. Businesses are best positioned to know what employees they need today and which roles will be critical in the future. They can help share work approaches, provide access to essential tools and technologies, etc. Another option is to invest in private educational institutions. 
• Reinforce the strengths of universities. Universities are focusing more on developing soft skills in students, while hard skills play a significant role in candidate selection. That is why it is crucial to expand the list of skills for building a successful career and personal growth.
• Establish their own educational projects. Businesses can create their own projects, educate specialists with the latest industry practices and recruit the best talent.
• Dual education. Combining theoretical knowledge provided by educational institutions with experience gained during internships at companies is the best way to succeed in IT. This allows specialists to apply their skills and abilities in real-life projects.
• Increase the potential of vocational schools. Many professions require practical experience which can be mastered in one or two years. Vocational institutions provide such an opportunity for people to gain education in the short term and exclusively in a field they request. 

Sergey Tokarev is convinced that the AI progress, automation and the breakneck growth of technologies are creating new niches for businesses to expand and new opportunities for people to gain new skills and professions. Ukrainians should definitely take advantage of those opportunities.