All through high school, students learn that the most important subjects are reading, writing, math and science. As we grow older, however, it becomes increasingly clear that technology is just as important — if not more important — as our core courses. 

One of the top skills employers look for when hiring students out of college is data literacy, according to Forbes. To ensure that their students remain competitive in the job application process, SU should require students across all majors to have a technology literacy requirement. 

Although some people think that technological literacy is exclusive to coding, which can be intimidating to some, being literate in technology is more encompassing. Employers might not expect you to code, but they may ask you to sort files, input data into Microsoft Excel and to look up data in a database — all important skills that many students at SU don’t know how to do efficiently, or at all.

Some schools at SU are doing a good job of ensuring their students are technologically literate, including the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. The college’s Microsoft Excel Certification Program requires all students to pass an exam signifying that they are proficient in Excel, which gives Whitman students a competitive edge and sets them apart from their peers, according to the website. 

Even if your major seemingly has nothing to do with technology, you will still use technology in your profession. Colleges at SU can also integrate courses that train students on the type of technology that they may encounter in their specific industry.

Jeffrey Rubin, a professor at the iSchool who focuses on technology and sports, said that it’s important for college students to be technologically literate coming out of college.

“Digital literacy is not just for IT folks, as technology intersects every industry and every profession,” Rubin said. “Students today need to take courses — shameless plug for IST 195 — to help them with the intersection of technology and their desired profession.”

With this information in mind, the SU administration should expand their expectations for students and their technological literacy. As jobs become more technology intensive, SU needs to implement more digital literacy programs that teach SU students software like Excel and Adobe applications to make sure students are qualified for the workforce they are entering.

Monica Jankovic, a sophomore studying information technology and policy studies, said that, in this day and age, every company incorporates technology into their business.

“Every company is a technology company ranging from big companies such as Nike to small businesses such as Otto’s Juice Bar. Therefore, it is important that students are technologically literate so that every single company can perform at its best,” Jankovic said.

Junior Mona Pudasaini, who studies information management and technology, said that technological literacy is imperative for college students because technology will only continue to expand and become more prevalent.

“Technology plays a paramount role in each of our lives from the ways we interact with one another to the way we impact the technology around us,” Pudasaini said. “As a college student, it is crucial that we are technologically literate because the influence technology has in our lives now will continue to grow.” 

It is clear that understanding technology is incredibly important for SU students entering the job industry, therefore SU should require classes or certifications that teach technological literacy. These changes can increase a student’s ability to understand basic concepts that are needed in the workplace, making it more likely for students to get competitive jobs.

Melanie Wilder is a sophomore policy studies and information management double major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at mewilder@syr.edu.

Published on November 9, 2021 at 10:21 pm