{"id":43069,"date":"2026-09-17T09:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T09:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=43069"},"modified":"2026-09-17T12:59:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T12:59:07","slug":"if-we-can-teach-students-to-learn-digitally-why-not-teach-them-to-earn-digitally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/if-we-can-teach-students-to-learn-digitally-why-not-teach-them-to-earn-digitally\/","title":{"rendered":"If we can teach students to learn digitally, why not teach them to earn digitally?"},"content":{"rendered":"

17 September 2026 | Written by: Dr Lifutso Tsephe | Picture: Supplied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I left the 2026 Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Teaching and Learning Conference with a question I have not been able to shake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held from 8 to 10 September 2026 under the theme “Reimagining Teaching and Learning for the Future: Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact in Higher Education,” the conference was informative and stimulating, particularly the conversations around artificial intelligence, electronic learning and how technology can improve teaching and learning. As an academic, I welcomed these conversations. We need to think seriously about how we prepare students for a rapidly changing world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But another question kept coming to mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are we preparing students only to learn in the digital economy, or are we preparing them to participate economically in it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not an argument against education. It is an argument for an education system courageous enough to rethink what education should make possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa continues to face a serious unemployment crisis. In the first quarter of 2026, the official unemployment rate stood at 32.7%, while 4.7 million young people aged 15 to 34 were unemployed (Statistics South Africa, 2026a, 2026b). These figures should force us to rethink how we prepare young people for economic participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continue to present a familiar pathway: go to school, get a qualification, graduate and find a job. But what happens when there are not enough jobs? Why do we wait until students graduate before thinking about their economic participation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to start earlier.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine a student entering university at 18 or 19. For three or four years, we teach that student to read, write, research, analyse, solve problems and acquire specialised knowledge. We increasingly use digital platforms, artificial intelligence and online collaboration. Could we also teach students how to create economic value using some of those same digital tools while they study?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe we can, and I believe we should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not mean every student should become an entrepreneur. It does not mean universities should abandon traditional employment, nor that degrees are no longer valuable. It means employment should not be the only economic pathway we prepare students for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (2020), South Africa’s National Digital and Future Skills Strategy recognises that digital technologies are changing how people, economies and societies operate, and that digital skills are<\/p>\n\n\n\n

increasingly important for participating in this transformation. The question is whether we are doing enough to help students turn digital skills into meaningful economic opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital literacy is not enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a difference between knowing how to use social media and understanding how to use digital platforms strategically. There is a difference between using artificial intelligence to complete an assignment and understanding how artificial intelligence can support productivity, creativity, research and innovation. There is also a difference between attending an online class and understanding how the internet has transformed how people learn, work, market themselves and generate income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s recent work similarly emphasises meaningful, ethical and transformative participation in digital spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One possible pathway is digital marketing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its core, digital marketing teaches people to communicate value, understand audiences, develop a professional brand, create content and use digital platforms strategically. These skills can complement almost any qualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A communications student could learn to market their skills. A graphic design student could build a digital portfolio and offer services online. An education student could develop digital learning resources. A postgraduate student could communicate research to audiences beyond academic journals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These skills do not replace disciplinary knowledge; they extend its possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students can build portfolios, develop digital skills and potentially earn income while studying. By graduation, they could have more than a qualification and curriculum vitae. They could have skills, networks, a digital presence and experience creating opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Lifutso Tsephe is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Monitoring and Institutional Research in the Directorate for Institutional Research and Academic Planning at the University of the Free State.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is an opinion piece. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of the Free State or the Vaal University of Technology.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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