A few weeks ago, I attended the 50th anniversary event of the foundation of the IBM research laboratory in Israel – where I spent most of my career. There were dozens of people who worked in the lab over the years, which essentially formed the local high-tech industry. Some have moved on to founding start-ups, others have joined large corporations. All products built and breakthrough technologies developed. People of all kinds, genders and sectors, none of which have cut corners on their way to their destination.
Today, the common trend is for people to enter the high-tech industry through acceleration programs, bootcamps, or experience in technology units at IDF – rather than having a formal academic education. “Experience is much more important than a degree,” many millennials will say. I understand why it attracts. We’ve all heard of a successful entrepreneur who dropped out of college or never even entered formal studies, started a start-up company and made millions. However, for most of us, this story is irrelevant; the odds of this happening to most of us are tantamount to winning the lottery.
Israel’s high-tech industry has created an ecosystem based on technological excellence coupled with unprecedented innovation. It would not be possible without engineers and software specialists who have obtained appropriate and professional academic education in the best schools. The high-tech industry does not rely on natural resources, machinery or physical components, but rather on highly skilled human resources. Today, this gigantic industrial sector in Israel is facing challenges from the global market. The impact will mainly affect people with low occupational flexibility.
In the moment of truth, and it may soon be, people will discover that quick vocational training and programming courses designed to “replace” the basic academic courses taught in computer science schools are not enough. As the industry becomes more selective, those who can master more than one skill develop. The time has come to go back to the basic principles that seemed to be forgotten or neglected due to recent trends, and remind you that there are no shortcuts in vocational education. Those who will stand and rise in the most difficult times are employees with strong and developed professional foundations.
As Dean of the Computer Science School at The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, my mission is to educate computer science students without compromise while providing them with the practical preparation and skill set the industry demands. To continue the important national mission of building a thriving high-tech industry in Israel, I would like to remind some of my colleagues who started to believe in shortcuts: excellence is based on deep and broad education.
Of course, there’s always room for improvement in an academic ivory tower; we must ensure that our degrees remain current and keep pace with the rapid pace of technological change. However, we must pass on to the younger generation the importance of higher education. If someone aspires to learn the field for many years, always try, develop flexibility in your professional career – instead of acquiring a narrow specialist knowledge, there is no alternative; you have to study for several years before venturing into the market. If there’s one thing I learned at the IBM event, it’s that success in high-tech depends on a combination of professional excellence, a sense of purpose and dedication.
The author is the dean of the School of Computer Science at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo.
