Will qualifications still matter? Graduates ask as AI transforms industry

Conversations about higher education shift as students ask whether qualifications will still matter when they graduate amid AI transformation. A subtle but significant shift is taking place in conversations about higher education. People still ask about qualifications, fees and campus life but, increasingly, those questions are simply stepping stones to a much bigger concern. “Will this qualification still matter when I graduate?” It is an entirely reasonable question. Artificial intelligence is transforming industries at remarkable speed. Entire professions are evolving, employers are looking for different capabilities and many of today’s students will eventually work in roles that have yet to be imagined. The more I reflect on these conversations, however, the more I think students are asking a much bigger question than they realise. The real issue isn’t whether a qualification will remain relevant. It’s whether higher education can prepare people for a future that refuses to stand still. That distinction matters because it changes how we think about the purpose of universities and colleges. For decades, South Africa’s higher education debate has, quite rightly, centred on access. How do we create more opportunities? How do we ensure that talented young people, regardless of circumstance, can continue their education? Those questions remain urgent. Youth unemployment among 15 to 24 year olds remains at 60.9%. Education has a massive impact, graduate unemployment is much lower, at 12.2%, but this year alone over 100 000 academically eligible students were unable to secure places at public institutions. The continuing challenges surrounding Nsfas have also highlighted how fragile the pathway into higher education can be for many South Africans. But I believe another question now deserves equal attention. What kind of graduates are we sending into the world? The government’s recent budget vote suggests this thinking is already taking shape. Its proposed skills revolution, backed by a R149.2 billion investment in the post-school education and training sector, places far greater emphasis on workplace-integrated learning, occupational qualifications and stronger collaboration between education providers and employers. The language itself is revealing. The government has called on industry to become a “coproducer of skills”, recognising that employability can no longer be treated as somebody else’s responsibility. At the same time, another conversation is beginning to reshape higher education. If knowledge has become almost universally accessible, what should universities be teaching that students can’t simply find online? Only a year ago, much of the discussion around artificial intelligence focused on how institutions could detect AI-generated assignments. Increasingly, universities are asking a far more interesting question: how should teaching and assessment evolve in a world where information is abundant and instantly accessible? Across the sector, there is growing recognition that higher education must place greater emphasis on critical thinking, sound judgement, creativity and adaptability because these are the qualities that enable graduates to apply knowledge rather than simply acquire it. Taken together, these developments suggest that higher education is entering a new chapter. Qualifications remain essential, but they are no longer sufficient on their own. Their value will increasingly be measured by the opportunities they unlock, the confidence they build and the adaptability they cultivate over the course of a lifetime. For institutions like Eduvos, this reinforces a direction we have believed in for some time. Expanding access remains vital, but access without meaningful outcomes is an incomplete promise. Students deserve an education that equips them not only for their first job, but for careers that will inevitably evolve as technology, society and the economy continue to change. Ultimately, I don’t think prospective students are really asking whether a qualification will still matter in three or four years’ time. They’re asking whether they’ll be ready for a future that none of us can predict with complete confidence.