Honoris United Universities, the first and largest pan-African network of private higher education institutions, has announced the launch of the Honoris 21st Century Skills Certificate to further enhance the employability of its students by equipping them with the most in-demand soft and digital skills required to thrive and be competitive in the 21st-century world of work.
Based on global researches and engagement with employers across the continent, the certificate has been developed by the Honoris Academic Council, a pan-African team of faculty representatives with exemplary backgrounds and academic experience. Chosen for their unmatched expertise in their fields, including online learning and digital technology, the council’s work is an important investment in the development of world-class human talent
The programme is expected to deliver skills training in areas highlighted by industry analysts and by the demands of the fourth industrial revolution, ensuring that graduates enter the world of work empowered with high cognitive skills and digital literacy competencies that are necessary to navigate our changing world.
The online programme will train students in the eight most in-demand skills by employers and for the future of work: behavioural intelligence, creativity and design thinking, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, coding, data analytics and entrepreneurship.
These skills, which serve as a driving force for the 4IR, ensure that Honoris graduates keep up with the dynamics of the labour market.
The 100-hour programme is being deployed to all students across the network. It constitutes a four-module design including personal, social, digital, and entrepreneurship skills which will be embedded in Honoris member institutions’ curricula.
A statement by the university said, “This certificate, powered by the Honoris Online Academy, demonstrates the network’s ongoing commitment to providing student-centric learning environments, designed by combining academic knowledge with entrepreneurial and workplace skills and credentials, to ensure graduates are equipped with the digital know-how and hybrid skills to meet the needs of the changing job market.
Commenting on the development, the university’s Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, Laura Kakon, said, “The world of work has entered an era where nothing is guaranteed. Employers are adopting new ideas and technologies at a rapid pace and as a result, students need to keep up with the latest innovations and technologies in order to remain competitive and in high demand.
“At Honoris United Universities, we believe in future-oriented learning to prepare our students to harness technology and innovation, in order to thrive and compete in automated, data and Artificial Intelligence-driven realities.”
Kakon added that the university believed in empowering “our students with an academic and skills experience that leads to cognitive agility and a mobile mindset.”
