How Important Is Tertiary Education

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IT depends on quality and affordability, as not all tertiary education are the same. In fact, they can be very different, even for the same course of study or individual, as outcomes can vary and are determined by diverse mindsets.
University tuition fees can be costly in developing nations or developed countries such as the United States, requiring most students to take educational loans whereas it is free or at very low cost in many countries around the world, especially in Europe.
In any case, Malaysian school leavers who are not required to help support their families or themselves should pursue tertiary education and take full advantage of campus life to further develop and mature. But few realise that obtaining a diploma or degree is only secondary.
Many people are not aware that strong command of a language is essential for self-development, as its theoretical understanding and practical application empower one to think, speak and write clearly, which are prerequisites to communicate effectively.
Linguistic skill facilitates cognitive functions such as acquiring knowledge by understanding and utilising information, enhancing attention, reasoning, problem-solving and memorising.
Those fortunate to have mastered a global language, such as English, would be directly exposed to thoughts, views and latest developments around the world.
Those who have not would be confined to contents in their native language as they would find it too taxing to comprehend fully when struggling to listen or read in English.
Those who wish to work in licensed professions such as accountants, architects, doctors, engineers and lawyers must enrol for government-recognised programmes in order to practise.
However, the level of success in their careers also depends very much on their language and communications skills as they need to interact well with colleagues, customers and suppliers.
(Image: Berita Harian)The main weakness of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates is language and communication skills. With practical and industry-specific skills, they easily gain employment and may even be paid higher than those with general academic degrees.
But as long as they lack language and communication skills, their career growth will be limited, as they would not be able to lead a large team, department or organisation.
In the past, education was teacher-centred and students were required to answer questions in tests and exams. But with much information accessible online and essay-like answers can easily be generated using chatbots, answers based on common knowledge are much less valuable.
However, if one understand online information well and make changes or improvements on them, it could make a big difference or even be a game changer.
For this to happen, it requires imagination, creativity and critical thinking. Career success depends less on what was learned in universities or years ago, as they are already common knowledge and mostly outdated, and may be disastrous to apply in changing market conditions.
More than ever before, asking the right questions is the most important for any individual to succeed in their careers and organisations to survive. It starts with asking the right questions when making online searches or using Large Language Models in AI systems.
The quality of questions determines the quality of answers. Obviously, using English rather than a native language will generate better answers. Not only that, the subtle differences on how the question is framed or structured can produce a weak answer or lead to the right track.
Finally, what is learned in universities and academic qualifications merely help in securing jobs. The real learning starts on the job and career success depends on how fast and well one has learned and keeps learning and unlearning to embrace and accommodate rapid changes.
Individuals and organisations that hang on to paper qualifications and past glories or successes will be obliterated like dinosaurs, not within a few thousand years, but in a decade or two. 
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT. 
- Focus Malaysia.

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