Education And Skills Dialogue Explores The Future Of Learning

As AI continues to reshape industries and redefine the future of work, Emeris recently brought together industry experts and regulators for an Education and Skills Dialogue: Before and Beyond the Degree. The discussion explored how South Africa’s education system can better prepare students for a rapidly evolving workplace while improving access to meaningful opportunities.

The panel included Nadia Starr (CEO South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)), Sarnelia Mandapalli (Head of Communications Emeris), Anthony Wingfield (Lecturer The Vega School at Emeris) and Lebo Lion (International Speaker, Thought Leader, Content Creator and Media Entrepreneur) who facilitated the conversation. They shared insights into the changing relationship between education, technology and employability. The event also marked Emeris’ first anniversary under its new identity, while reflecting on its legacy of more than 84 years of educational impact.

A key theme throughout the discussion was that AI should be embraced rather than avoided. Panelists agreed that AI is fundamentally changing what students learn and how they learn, requiring institutions to rethink traditional models of teaching, learning and assessment.

According to Wingfield, Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEI) must ensure that learning remains relevant to real-world industry demands.

“Part of my role is to understand what real life scenarios students are going to be dealing with, not just heavily packed theory”, said Wingfield.

Wingfield also noted that the role of PHEI is evolving from content delivery to cognitive coaching, with lecturers increasingly serving as facilitators of critical thinking, ethical decision making and problem solving skills.

“AI is not going to take your job. Someone who knows how to use AI will take your job”, said Wingfield.

He added that institutions that view AI purely as a threat risk becoming irrelevant, while those that redesign their educational models around human-AI collaboration will be better positioned to succeed.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of ensuring that qualifications remain relevant in a fast changing environment. Starr explained that qualifications are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain aligned with emerging industry needs and technological developments.

Starr emphasised that: “While AI may transform the world of work, formally recognised qualifications remain a permanent and valuable record of achievement”.

“AI can intervene, but it will never be able to take your qualification away from you. It will always be there, no matter how drastically the world changes”, added Starr.

She further highlighted SAQA’s role in overseeing South Africa’s National Qualifications Framework and ensuring that qualifications remain credible, transferable and internationally recognised.

The panel also explored the importance of stronger collaboration between education providers and industry.

“It’s important that institutions work with businesses to ensure that we are filling the gaps they need”, said Mandapalli.

As South Africa continues to tackle youth unemployment and skills shortages, conversations such as the Education and Skills Dialogue play an important role in bridging the gap between education and employment, helping to ensure that graduates are prepared not only to enter the workforce, but to thrive in it.

The dialogue reinforced that, while a qualification remains an important first step, graduate success increasingly depends on adaptability, digital literacy, critical thinking and the ability to work effectively alongside emerging technologies.