#incubation programmes

Education can take us into a future that we cannot grasp, yet!

So what if the possibility exists for you to get higher qualifications that is relevant, and can formulate your personal interests into a career you would love to do? What if you can study without paying the high prices of formal university training, and get bogged down by the limitations of state controlled traditional education. Will you study further? After reading this letter, you will most definitely not make the mistake thousands has made before. Don’t be left behind and find yourself jobless, and with no income to sustain your future.

I heard a great story recently, of a little girl who was attending a drawing lesson. She was six and sitting in the back of the drawing room. The teacher noticed this little girl, lost in her own endeavour, never paid attention. The teacher was fascinated by her vigorous activity, putting innovation, and creativity on paper with colourful display. Looking at her creation, the teacher asked her what she was drawing. And the girl said, “I am drawing a picture of God”. And the teacher said, “But no-body knows what God looks like”. And the girl said, “They will in a minute” ….

Many seek quick gold, we want to be rich fast without effort, and we want to have many things. Yet what is often lacking is the knowledge about gold, the mining process, and establishment of the business needed to translate gold into a sustainable system that would profit all. In the same way the internet, for example, is overloaded with fast-information, the good, the bad and the ugly deceitful, and yet it neither makes anybody streetwise, other than being a cheap magazine for advice that attempt to replace professional expertise. The reliable proof remains in the pudding, and if these free-floating Facebook comments, or blogs from John Bloke really make us wise – why are we not all millionaires yet. The point is that being internet savvy does not make you an educated specialist, and if the internet of things makes you rich, why are the world stuck in poverty. The secret answer, the gift of gold, lies somewhere in this article – keep reading.

Experts that monitor the corporate sector has indicated that big companies tend to scale down on unproductive staff, justified by favouritism towards new technologies, and computerized systems to replace human resources that do not possess higher qualifications. There are many reasons why it is absolutely essential for young and old to complement their work experience with applicable, relevant, and contextual education, or they will find themselves unemployable soon. You will benefit from further studies. Different approaches towards studies can be highlighted, but many choose to ignore alternative, cost-effective, and accelerated solutions, for they afraid to depart from conditioned routines that emphasizes the ideal comfort of a big house and smart cars. But if this is true, then why are so many graduates, especially in South Africa, finding themselves unemployed? The reason being that it is integrative learning that transforms lives, and not just mere knowledge about Reading History, Science, and Maths. In the words of Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. But in context, the acronym, “knowledge is power”, is often miss-used with reference to leaders in influential positions, instead of individual independent thinkers that create their own solutions for life. But, exactly why will a different approach to education, and what type of knowledge power will help you to move ahead in life? Is Education not often spoken about as out-dated, costly, difficult, and take soooo long?  You will find solutions to these problems below.

Here are the facts …

With the turn of the decade, we will see the population statistics in Africa alone, double to 2.1 Billion[1]. According to the Economist, 75% of Africa’s population by 2030 will be under the median age of 25 years [2] . To make matters worse, we stand on the brink of a technological and digital revolution that will fundamentally change the way we think in terms of work, and education. In its scale, scope, and complexity, Schwab (World Economic Forum. 2017), claims that the transformation of businesses and the way society operates will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. It simply means that we cannot expect the youth to apply and prosper from the same old principles used for business strategies that led to the disarray of world economics, war, and despair. The facts also indicate that current trends in businesses for especially the next three years is to scale down even further, feeling the pinch of bad politics, and financial pressures to survive. In SA, the unemployed stand currently at 36.4% and in total 56%, age 15-64, are not economically active [3]. So if unemployment are rapidly increasing due to the reduction of job opportunities, hence the urgent need for the current workforce (which 45% are under the age of 25), to acquire greater expertise that will enable them to build a self-sustainable future, for there will not be jobs available in the future.

Recently a Professor told me this story, the reason she never found gold, was because she entertained herself with television soapies, and social media feeds that encourage fear, discrimination and a belief in conspiracies, to such an extent that she believed that a self-earning income is not possible, and not working for a corporate company to take care of your family, being against “God’s” will. It is only when she started studying that she realized how much disadvantage beliefs were self-induced. We came to believe that the ideal portrait of a 9-5 job, nice salary, medical fund, retirement at age 60/65, car and house allowance, and the ultimate dream home to be the in thing. Yet, soon workforce across all race, gender, and age boundaries will need to realize that the future of work means you will have to be self-employed and produce your own income, without these luxuries attached. The day she took responsibility for creating her own employment, she found her passion and purpose in life.

Simply stated – we cannot expect skills development at matric level (NQF 4, or NQF 5 Occupational Certificates through e.g. SETA accredited internships), to provide means to obtain employment, and neither will your portfolio of MOOC’s count much to provide food for the table. Rather, old and young will need to find ways to integrate expertise gained through relevant, up to date, and contextual learning, obtained through a reflective and transformative learning approach, to generate new ways to work and create employment opportunities for the next decade. With 10 to 12 million digitally connected youths entering the job market in Africa every year, the International Monetary Fund estimates that the continent will need to produce an average of 18 million new high productivity jobs every year until 2035. Sadly speaking, with a disempowered and uneducated prior generation, the expertise to make this feasible is desperately in need and if the millenniums do not endeavour to empower themselves, the economy will collapse, and neither will there be an older generation of businesses left, to feed the poor. This is mainly because internship programmes become a cheap employment strategy used by companies without ensuring future employment for the interns, and traditional business incubators only provide infrastructure to profit from those participating. Integrated learning must guide the learner to move beyond studies, into independent living and being, a transformative experience that builds confidence and self-sustainable know-how leaders that influence and empower their communities.

Much can be said about work integrated learning to apply critical thinking, innovation, creative analysis and independent decision making. Yet, employer surveys indicated that, apart from specialist skills and knowledge directly related to career fields, the importance of transferable and cross-cutting proficiencies is imperative for survival and success in the competitive world of work. These competencies (knowledge, skills, and applied abilities) include, among others, Leadership Development, Social Entrepreneurship, Business and Project Management, Networking and Relationship building, Holistic Consciousness and Personal Integrity. The good news is that there is opportunity for all to excel in their academic proficiency through a flexible, accelerated (not time bound), and progressive approach (building new knowledge on top of existing to improve effectiveness and expand experience). According to a new survey done by the Arizona State-Georgetown University [4], we must not make the mistake to equate the need for further studies with traditional university training. The decade ahead for higher education is one of radical change in teaching methods, approach to course materials, and philosophy of education.   

Incubation for Higher Learning – A New Way to Empower and Educate.  

The word incubation, refer to hatching of birds eggs, nurturing, and cultivating the growth and development until the chicks are ready to leave the nest. The Meta-Life Change-Agent Incubation Initiative, refers to the cultivation of competencies needed to foster entrepreneurial leaders and holistic change makers in society. The Academic Incubation – format as approach to Higher Education (as opposed to a traditional business incubator), is a structured community of learning and think-tank, with the primary task to assist the critical assessment, research exploration of fundamental ideas, and advanced knowledge needed for social and economic development. Focusing on Entrepreneurship and Social Transformation, the Incubation process accelerates the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for participants to initiate, and manage new ventures that would expand business possibilities and job creation. Moving away from formally established Institutionalized approach to education towards knowledge based communities of learning, as Virtual University and Micro-centre of learning, it can provide digital and globally accessible solutions through online blended learning, while providing local contact support to guide the implementation of studies.

The Meta-Life Institute has initiated this response to the world economic crisis to bridge the gap experienced in human capacity building in scarce skills, or critical knowledge requirements for a sustainable future. As academic mentors, we host blended learning support that facilitates Internationally Accredited Educational Programmes in Leadership Development focusing on Entrepreneurship and Social Transformation, as well as a Social Sciences Programmes focusing on Holistic Spiritual Ministry and Consciousness, or Metaphysical Studies. Built on the relevant foundation of educational incubation programmes, it simply means you can develop the practical know-how of venture creation and business management, or holistic ministry services under the guidance of experts, while earning recognition by our partner Universities.

For citizens of a developing country, access to International studies is limited and can be very expensive. Research from the Erasmus impact study also demonstrated that students who take part in an Academic Incubation programme with International cross-border links, have higher employment rates after five years, faster career progression, greater professional responsibility, earn more than their non-mobile peers and demonstrate a higher rate of entrepreneurialism. The Deloitte, Fifth Global Millennial Survey, agrees that this kind of Coaching and Mentoring needs to be embedded in Entrepreneurial Leadership, and Consciousness Incubation Programmes, to answer the challenges faced in developing societies to secure a sustainable future (Buckley et al 5, 2016: 17). Although, the MLi Academic Mentoring process is not part of the local education system, it opens a path to be accredited with internationally recognized qualifications that reflect the student’s personal career interests in a flexible, accessible, and affordable manner.

The role of a Transformational Coaching and Academic Mentoring approach to Education, encourages collaborative innovation through team work, challenging thinking and perspectives, supports change initiatives, and cultivate the appropriate competencies needed for success. Transformative Learning, according to Mezirow6 (1998: 197), occurs when e.g. business leaders, engages in activities that causes, or allows them to gain understanding of a different worldview than their own, and by integrating the implications of alternative perspectives into their own thoughts, allowing it to transform their lives, and business strategies. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds experience the largest uplift, flowing from collaborative participation under guidance of an incubation mentor. This kind of approach to education aim to promote personal growth, social transformation, and inclusive economic expansion.  

If you have read thus far – well done. You are now eligible for the gift of gold at the bottom of the rainbow. Why many never find the gold, reflects on their inability to do critical reflection, unwillingness to read through an article, and then they try be business advisors. And for those who are seriously seeking opportunities to obtain relevant, flexible, and personalized interdisciplinary educational qualifications – this is the key that can open your future. Our intake is limited, quote this reference, “Dual_2017/IN6” to reserve your seat, and receive an additional special dual degree offer. For more information, contact us on [email protected].

References.

[1] Mills, G; Obasanjo, O; Herbst, J; and Davis, D. 2017. Making Africa Work: A Handbook for Economic Success. Cape Town: Tafelberg.

[2] The Economist, 16 April 2016. [Online]. Available at: http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21696792-commodity-boom-may-be-over-and-barriers-doing-business-are-everywhere-africas. (Accessed, 28 June 2017).

[3] Stats SA, Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 1, June 2017.

[4] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/decade-ahead-promises-great-change-higher-education-jeff-selingo

[5] Buckley, P; Viechnicki, P; and Baruahttp, A. 2016. The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey: Winning over the next generation of leaders. A New Understanding of Millennials: Generational Differences Re-examined. Available at: www.deloitte.com/MillennialSurvey. (Accessed, 07 May 2016).

Conversations for Transformation

In terms of your life journey, where does life find you right now? Are you caught up in the turmoil of political controversy, or so emerged in the business of the day that your personal growth and development has taken the backseat. Life in its kindness has a tendency to summon circumstances that brings the human endeavour to a halt, a pause, and it makes us consider the progress made over the past few years. For some, the point where they want to be and how to reach that dream, goal or milestone, has simply became unattainable. One important obstacle that may contribute is a sense of disempowerment. Many never engage in entrepreneurial efforts, or never follow their inner intuitive call into spiritual ministry, simply because getting suitably equipped seem so arbitrary caught up in academic nonsense. Obtaining credible knowledge and experience can also be a very expensive route, and the question of academic accreditation leaves a distasteful challenge when legal requirements drive education in an undesired focus. Further dispute surface when governmental accrediting councils require lengthy quality control systems that conform to pre-set conditions and outcomes that do not serve the objectives of the qualifications sought, nor its suitable implementation and usefulness in society. With traditional educational systems becoming increasingly unsuitable for modern demands, many are seeking an alternative approach to empower themselves to reach for gold.

AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH.

Transformative learning is more than a shift in one’s thought, it is a shift in Consciousness, in the way your passion translate into action in the value you bring to life.

What is needed is a new kind of thinking about the role of transformative education and the position of social and business leaders therein. Training interventions that focus on Transformative Leadership and Entrepreneurial development, for example, need to bridge the skills gap and transfer of knowledge in a way that cultivate innovation, critical problem solving, and collaborative interaction that serves the needs experienced in the work place. Alternative education encompasses a pedagogical approach that differs from that of traditional mainstream educational systems employed. Such alternative learning environments cultivates the integration of subject knowledge and skills in the same way an apprentice is incubated to grow stronger and more competent under the guidance and supervision of a study/work mentor. The future role of collaboration in learning and the position of various business leaders therein, are key dynamics often debated yet rarely addressed in current perennial focussed educational systems. The solution emphasises work integrated learning as a mentoring process without the legalities of accreditation embedded in qualifications.

The Meta-Life Institute explores and promote alternative approaches to education that seek to integrate academic knowledge and expertise under guidance of an incubation mentor, that aims to cultivate specific capacities indicative of transformative role of Entrepreneurs and Spiritual Leadership in society. The Institute offers two specific incubation programmes – not as qualification, but as an empowering process that will enable the student, as agent, to be the change you want to see in the World. Read more about these qualities embedded in the Leadership Development process presented by the Meta-Life Institute. The full article is available on our website at http://meta-lifecoaching.yolasite.com/entrepreneurial-leadership.php. The flexible and accelerated learning approach focusses on competencies and not specific time periods, or standard tests and grades for predetermined knowledge that needs to be accounted for exams.  

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” (Leo Tolstoy).