Empowering the youth through digital education

By Marius Burger, CIO at SEACOM

Education must keep up with today's ever-evolving technology and prepare students for a digitally-based job market. STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education empowers our youth with critical thinking skills, as well as the capability to problem-solve.

STEAM, on the other hand, represents STEM plus the arts - humanities, language, social sciences, dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and new media. Creative confidence and collaboration are equally as important as they broaden students' horizons even further.

Both of these educational approaches have become essential in empowering our youth to achieve their full digital potential and assist in enabling Kenya to fully embrace a digital economy with sought-after future-proof skills.

STEM versus STEAM

STEM-based education aims to provide students with the digital literacy and multidisciplinary knowledge they need to succeed in today's digital world. However, advocates for STEAM believe that the arts are an important part of an interdisciplinary, well-rounded education and are essential for creative thinking for the future. Students in STEAM settings are able to connect concepts and solve problems in new, innovative ways.

Both approaches emphasize science-based learning as a means of preparing students for a digitised workforce where jobs in these sectors are in high demand. STEAM combines the best of both worlds of learning to create a multifaceted, open-minded and inclusive style of thinking about the world around us.

Why creativity is an important and necessary skill

In 2018, LinkedIn named creativity "the most important skill in the world," and the World Economic Forum ranked it third out of ten skills needed to succeed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, behind complex problem-solving and critical thinking. Forbes also lists creativity as one of the ten vital skills for the future of work.

As more AI-driven solutions are integrated into modern workplaces, creativity will become a key differentiator that sets humans apart from machines. Sean Dorrance Kelly, an American philosopher, claims that AI simply can't compete with human creativity and that it “is and always will be a human endeavour”.

In order to drive business and digital transformation forward through innovation, creative skills are indispensable and will only become even more important in the future. For more information or to get a quote for our wide range of digital solutions, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

SEACOM owns Africa’s largest network of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including fibre optic networks and subsea cables. We offer a wide range of industry-leading scalable ICT solutions for large companies that operate throughout the region.

SEACOM is privately owned - making it adaptable to the needs of the client. We are the preferred ICT and internet connectivity supplier for African enterprises. We can guarantee fast, reliable and secure internet and networking services at affordable prices.

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