Qualifications Vs practical application

Nishan WIMALACHANDRA Corporate Trainer and Lecturer

In ancient times, education was often limited to the elite few, a select group of people.

We have even heard stories how kings hanged people who attempted to educate themselves without the permission of the royalty.

But fortunately or unfortunately, education is readily available today; it's so available that we could even get a degree at our finger tips.

Online law degrees, online medical degrees, did I forget to mention; online any degree is available with world class recognition.

More than any day in history, HR managers are facing a very difficult scenario in recruitment as most people have many qualifications, academic or professional, degrees or degree equivalents.

At the same time there is a problem which is required and which is not. But after all qualifications obtained today have a UK, US, or Australian Tag behind it which makes it very attractive to the ones obtaining them.

Most of us know somebody who has a foreign qualification, or someone who studied overseas, and this is no phenomenon if you look everywhere you will get overseas qualified people, and the qualifications are all over their CV, more than their real experience or ability.

Today most people who have the most recognized world class qualifications can't do a thing.

They may demand seven digit salaries, but when it comes to delivery, it's all a "big nothing".

Most people who possess MBAs and even PhDs lack the basics of getting the work done when it is needed.

These titles of course have become mere letters after their name and it's just a show-off, and when it comes to performance, the only thing they know is theory, and they stumble on practical application.

Out of the box the thinking, inside the box thinking these are all one side of the coin which is of course required.

But unfortunately the so-called MBAs and PhDs lack common sense as common sense is not so commonly available. World Class qualifications may take people to the top, but that won't guarantee their stay up there. Recognized qualifications may open many doors for them, but their abilities will determine how long the doors are open.

We live in a performance-driven modern world, where everything is a result of performance.

For instance I could teach anybody to swim, I could teach all modern techniques of swimming as theory, but if I cannot get into the water and teach, it is a ridiculous attempt. There are people, who could get into any depth in the water, but they can't come back, even with their swimming theory, knowing how to breathe, knowing how to kick and all sorts of theory, they still drown.

This is the problem which we see in the modern educated people today, the lack of practical application. You could learn about swimming online at your finger tips, but no one can save you if you had to swim in real waters.

Most of the theories of management and organizations have lost its flavour and its practicalities in this modern changing world. Today, people cannot be controlled as any other resource, but they need to be empowered.

But to empower people a person with an online swimming degree can never do.

Academics must increase their abilities through practical application of the theories they teach, while experienced professionals must accumulate qualifications to back up their knowledge.

It's a two way thing; the whole system of educators must change to begin this process as most university professors and lecturers lack practical exposure and could only teach the theories of important subject matter. It's the swimming example you need to keep in mind. One can never impart the realities of swimming Online.

Graduates and Post Graduates all require some experience in working in a real environment.

Academics who go on teaching in universities and colleges need to get into the deep waters, should have the simulation of drowning at least if real experience is difficult to obtain.

You could never teach someone if you don't have the real experience. The problem is worse when the qualified gets into employment and humiliates the institutions they obtained their qualifications and themselves.

I have heard many complain that they are really good at driving, but it's the others they can't drive along with.

You may be an expert driver, but when it comes to driving with others on a highly trafficked road, you may stumble.

The Driving License one possesses may only give the official entry to drive on the road, but it will never give them the experience which is most needed.

What is discussed here so far is part of the problem, but the rest is up to the person who obtains the qualification to apply their gained theoretical knowledge in real situations before they reach managerial level employment which may bring down the organizations due to the lack of ability once they are assigned a manager.

Organizations must have a system of sending all qualified personnel through the known mill, the mill of moulding and shaping. Without it nothing could be accomplished. One must shape them before entering managerial positions, or else, the circumstances will shape them into blocks which could be very unfavourable in nature.

Qualification alone cannot succeed in work place, but they must be complemented with experience and ability.

All organizations must learn the dose of qualifications and experience required to carry out their essential tasks and responsibilities.

After all qualification is what qualification does, not otherwise.