Courses in cybersecurity, data science and digital marketing: How this university is enabling graduates to thrive in the post-pandemic workplace

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, workplace disruption was already being felt across offices islandwide, and beyond. Automation via new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics was introduced, and predicted to cause large shifts in the jobs market in the years to come.

Since then, Covid-19 has created a "double disruption" scenario for workers, by plunging the global economy into a recession that is fuelling unemployment, and accelerating companies' plans to automate work processes, notes The Future of Jobs 2020 report published by the World Economic Forum.

In these trying times, the adage "the pace of change will never be as slow as it is today" holds especially true, says Professor Chris Rudd OBE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of Campus of James Cook University in Singapore.

He observes: "Our graduates are entering their professional careers with job titles that did not exist a decade ago. Other jobs are being 'teched out' and it is quite reasonable to assume that a 2021 graduate may need to re-skill four or five times during his or her working life to stay current."

To prepare its students for contemporary careers and the challenges of tomorrow, JCU recently launched a range of Industry 4.0 programmes spanning Cybersecurity, Data Science, Internet of Things, and Marketing for the Digital Age.

Available on a full- and part-time basis, the new technology-focused programmes - Bachelor of Science (Majoring in Data Science), Bachelor of Science (Majoring in Internet of Things), Bachelor of Cybersecurity, Bachelor of Business (Majoring in Marketing for the Digital Age), Master of Business Administration (Majoring in Analytics and Business Solutions) - aim to provide students with the opportunity to further their knowledge and skills in cutting-edge technology, and better tackle challenges such as cyber threats, the expanding world of sensors and data, and an increasingly digital world.

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JCU is also providing new pathways to Masters programmes in Psychology through its Graduate Certificate of Psychological Science and Master of Psychological Science (Majoring in Business Psychology), and upskilling opportunities for professionals in full-time employment.

Prof Rudd notes: "The Singapore government recognises the need to make ongoing investments in a high-capability workforce to remain competitive, and we are keen to provide some of that capacity in our areas of key strength.

"We listen continuously to business leaders to understand the skills gap, and work with them to address hotspots in employer needs, bringing business skills into the classroom and providing workplace exposure to our learners."

Pivoting its operations to create conducive learning

JCU's new programmes follows its successful transition from classroom to blended learning, and the delivery of remote learning in a year when Covid-19 dramatically transformed the higher learning sector.

Prof Rudd highlights that operating in the new normal has radically shifted JCU's thinking about future planning for its physical and digital infrastructure, and altered the physical distribution of its workforce.

While JCU remains focused on being a Singapore-based institution that provides a face-to-face learning experience, the university has transformed its traditional delivery model into one that delivers a similarly high standard of online content - not limited to taught programmes, but also student support and administrative assistance.

"One of JCU's strengths has been a readiness to pivot and flex our lesson delivery mode to meet our students' needs. Our operating principle is that no student should be disadvantaged by physical location, and we continue to invest and innovate so that learning outcomes and student experience can be serviced to a high level via face-to-face, blended or online delivery," Prof Rudd says.

In terms of the latter two, JCU has been taking steps to create more engaging content. For instance, it has partnered with the world's leading learning company Pearson to integrate even more interactivity in its virtual lessons. Through various workshops, it also offers students the opportunity to develop a range of new knowledge and skills beyond their course of study - such as managing work-life balance, leadership, and interview preparation and research.

These efforts, coupled with close communication with its student body, have enabled JCU to maintain very high levels of enrolment during the circuit breaker period in Singapore last April to June. The campus has also achieved a stable number of total enrolments from 2019 to 2020, along with a 40 per cent increase in part-time enrolled students during this period.

In spite of the ongoing challenges of living with endemic Covid-19, Prof Rudd foresees further growth in JCU's enrolments.

He says: "This is because we are able to pledge with confidence that we can accommodate the needs of students who wish to join us here in Singapore, as well as those who are unable or unwilling to travel from their home countries."

As one of the first Australian providers to open a Singapore campus in 2003, JCU's long-term commitment to the region has enabled it to establish a great reputation for quality education, with a focus on delivering outstanding outcomes for its graduates.

It is the only Private Education Institution (PEI) in Singapore with University status, and has developed a full-service campus offering Foundation Studies, Bachelors, Masters and PhD programmes across a range of disciplines.

One of the university's biggest strengths is its laser focus on quality, and specialised range of disciplines. Some of JCU's programmes are unique in the region; its flagship programme in Clinical Psychology trains the majority of Singapore's practicing clinicians, while its unique capability in Aquaculture and Marine Sciences is helping ASEAN nations establish sustainable sources of protein while conserving the fragile marine environment across the tropics.

The quality of the Singapore campus' operation was recognised in 2015 when the Committee for Private Education awarded it the Edutrust Star. JCU in Singapore is the first PEI to receive the award, and the first to have this status renewed for a second term.

The majority of JCU's programmes are professionally accredited and the university maintains close links with the industry and businesses via its distinguished advisory board. This provides staff and students with development opportunities and ensures that JCU's curricula are current and meet the needs of today's employers.

Click here to find out more about JCU and its programme offerings.