Steve Baxter Master Class - part 3: learning on the job

Welcome to Part 3 of our Steve Baxter Master Class!

In part 3 of this series we are going to be taking a look at Learning on the job vs Academic Training. There are a lot of people who have strong opinions about whether academic training is a thing of the past, but can learning on the job really replace years at university? As someone who didn't finish high school but has many years of experience behind him, this week Steve has a great discussion about the topic and touches on the advantages of academic programs, and why learning on the job is so important, especially in the technology industry.

"How do I rate learning on the job compared to academic training? I didn't quite finish high school so I don't have a great deal of experience in academia. But I have employed a lot of people who have those skills so i've seen that entire spectrum. I think when you learn, it's always the start to what you do. So the learning is the base of actually what occurs. In a lot of cases i'll actually look at an advanced learning, a degree or a bachelor of something or other as an indication that a person can knuckle down for a coupe of years and do something, they've got a bit of dedication in their life. Obviously those courses and degrees tend to impart some skills which is very important. But you actually want someone to be trainable and coachable.

We're especially mostly in technology so you actually have to change with the times, and if anything changes it's technology. So if someone is too set in their ways, they're not trainable, they're not coachable, then you've got a lot of problems. There's a variety of things to look at, but on the job learning, not so much training, but learning, is very important in order to take the business forward."  

If you'd like to find out more about Steve and what you will be learning in the Master Class you can watch his introduction video HERE.

Make sure you tune in next week when we will be delving into The State of Tech in Australia

Following on from Steve, you can also learn more about the change in academic training from Sir Ken Robinson. In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Ken makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning — creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

Incase you missed it, you can also watch Part 1: Why ongoing learning is Important and Part 2: Steve Baxter on Ideas