Technical Colleges Are More Effective Than Universities, Essay Example

Underlying differences and comparisons are evident between a technical college and university. Although the two entities tend to offer students with continuing degrees and education for those pursuing post-secondary education, the types of courses and experiences that one encounters are largely different. While most students tend to prefer the prestige associated with colleges, technical colleges offer better and more effective education. In the following discussion, the focus is on the advantages that technical colleges have over universities.

Program Focus

Universities tend to concentrate their programs on academics, learning and higher education subjects. These subjects tend to lack a specific focus and offers a student general insight into a given subject area. This essentially acts as a foundation for a student to apply their own knowledge to launch their own career through specialization in higher levels of education. However, technical universities tend to offer career-oriented education. Education in technical universities is focused on developing skills that are related to specific careers. Technical universities therefore provide pragmatic degrees that are applicable in real-life careers.

Applicability

Technical institutions tend to teach courses that are applicable to the current conditions, trends and needs of a given industry or specific profession. This ensures that students only learn what is applicable and related to real-life conditions and trends. When students are exposed to knowledge that is industry-specific, they tend to develop a strong understanding of their profession as opposed to the  This makes technical institutions more effective than universities, as they offer career-oriented education, which is more applicable in real life as opposed to the mainly theoretical approach taken.

Employability

Due to the rising recession, increase technological changes, globalization, specialization, there has been a dire need to incorporate employability in higher education solely to increase competence among graduates when they hit the job market. Employability is commonly seen as one of the manifestations of the rapid changes associated with the globalization era of the past two decades (cf. Field 2000). Therefore  ‘individual’s ability to gain initial employment, maintain employment, move between roles within the same organization, obtain new employment if required and (ideally) secure suitable and sufficiently fulfilling work, in other words- their employability, more important than the simple state of being employed (Watts).

Employability skills have been defined as “a set of achievements, understandings and personal attributes that make individuals more likely to gain employment and to be successful in their chosen occupations”. (Ginsberg)These are some employability skill as imagination/creativity, adaptability/flexibility, willingness to learn, independent working/autonomy, working in a team, ability to manage others, ability to work under pressure, good oral and written communication, critical thinking , cultural diversity,  numeracy, attention to detail, time management, making decisions, planning, coordinating and organizing ability, adaptation and working under pressure (Watts).

Owing to the fact that technical institutions offer their student’s career-oriented education, students from technical institutions have been found to be more employable in the job market as opposed to university graduate students. Technical institution students undergo a rigorous two-year course that exposes them to numerous instances of practical work. On the other hand university students have a curriculum that exposes them mostly to the conceptual backgrounds in given fields of study. This makes university graduates more attuned towards theoretical application in the workplace. This makes these students less employable when compared to technical university graduates.

Work Experience Modules

Work experience modules include work placements, volunteers and intensive industrial attachment as part of the grading for the academic program. Some maybe paid and some the student themselves are to pay depending the industries they are attached to. They also include “credit for year-long placements unconnected to a specific program; for part-time, term-time or vacation work; or for voluntary (unpaid) work.” (Watts).

In most universities, there is no formal work placement program for the students. Though there are competitions they participate in. This program is critical in the students engaging their abilities and skills against the rest in an open forum. This goes a long way into helping them discover more skills as they are capable of evaluate themselves and work on their shortcomings. However, technical institutions have numerous work-study programs that are integrated within its curriculum. Work-study programs could be incorporated by the higher education institutions. In other cases student can organize externally for purpose of gaining experience.

In most of the work-study programs, students get assessed by the supervisors from both the education institution and that of the industry where s/he is attached. Supervision helps know the student progress and what they learn from the work experience. Submission of reports and materials are also accessed and commented. More of the work related modules need to be increased as part of learning as regular as possible which could ensure they acquire employability skills.

Conclusively, a technical college and a university are both institutions of higher learning. However, inherent differences set apart the courses and experiences that an individual may encounter. Technical colleges offer programs that are aimed at developing industry-specific skills. The curriculum offers knowledge that is applicable in real-life situations. The work experience modules also enhance graduate employability. As such, technical universities are more effective than universities.

Works Cited

Alphonso, Knight. History of Black Colleges and Universities. New York: Xlibris Corporation, 2014. Print.

Ginsberg, Benjamin. The fall of the faculty : the rise of the all-administrative university and why it matters. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.