The man who prides himself for creating youth-centred brand experiences offered some insightful counsel to universities at the recent Higher Education Conference in October. Mr Ronen Aires, co-founder and CEO of Student Village, South Africa’s most prominent student marketing and graduate development specialists, spoke on how educational institutions can prepare students better for a future marked by disruption, technology, and changing work dynamics.
As he addressed the topic Graduate Needs and the Needs of Employers: How can Universities Shape the/for the Future, one of his points of focus was the changing mindset of graduates regarding employment. He said, “One in four — and it is getting close to one in three — students want to work for themselves.” This shift indicates a general desire in youth for self-fulfilment in their careers instead of merely pursuing the so-called traditional career objectives. Independence and self-actualisation are increasingly important to students who no longer want to earn a good paycheck but make a meaningful difference.