Some kids just get it. My son is one of them. He’s gone to video game programming camps in the summer, sat in on some of my college level animation and editing courses and taught himself a variety of software including his most recent endeavor learning C++. Next he wants to build a website. Did I mention he’s only 11?
Because of kids like him young adults entering the workforce are assumed to be more tech savvy than previous generations. You know what they say about assuming things though, don’t do it. As Gertrude Stein once said, “Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.”
Even though millennials have had access to computers and smart machines for a greater portion of their lives, studies show that they are unaware of how to use this technology to its full potential. Students like my other son tend to see the sole purpose of their electronic gadgets as an opportunity to play games, access entertainment and interact with their friends.
It’s not often that they venture out of their comfort zone of social media and into more productive programs. College professors are finding students are proficient in word processing and presentation software like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint but when it comes to navigating the menus of practical programs they are lost.
Schools claim that costs and rapid changes in innovation are keeping kids from learning more about setting up spreadsheets or developing websites. Staying on top of tech trends is expensive enough if you only have one system. So when many schools are having trouble paying their teachers, it’s nearly impossible to stock a public school computer lab without some sort of grant or outside funding.
The return on investment doesn’t meet up in some budget meetings at the moment but times are changing. Right now only a small selection of freshmen intends to pursue a computer-related field of study in college. However more and more jobs are requiring hands on tech skills that go beyond social media.
Schools and students who embrace this idea sooner rather than later will be a step ahead of the competition when it comes to job placement after graduation but they have to seek out the knowledge and the resources to succeed. Scouring search engines, visiting the library, tutoring and online classes are all options for anyone from beginners to experts to update some of their tech skills whether they’re a kid or a kid at heart.
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