The pendulum of skillsets swings again . . . and again

ONE of the underestimated issues of our times is not about education, but concerns the skillsets that the working population has or does not have.

What is the employability value of our education amid the clamour for skilling and reskilling? Is learning a specific skill more cost- and time-effective than conventional college education? We are perhaps not debating these hard enough.

We have, however, had debates on whether it is useful to be a specialist or a generalist in the job market. Should you be a "compensation expert" in HR or a manager who understands many HR aspects and their value in business? Given the shifting goals of skill acquisition, it is a big puzzle for the young and policy makers.