What skills are really useful to graduates once they are out in industry? Just the necessary skills that they would use in industry or other skills like communication?
There is always however the possibility to teach both or allow for experiential learning where individuals can gain certain "soft skills". For example team work skills can be enhanced by placing students in situations where they must work in groups to achieve an end goal. In this way students could be continuing studies they need to learn for industry whilst also gaining other skills. Some courses don't do this, but the students can have similar experiences if they joined university societies, especially sport societies as they can often require teamwork and communication.
This could also depend on the working environments the student would be going into however and to what skills they would possibly need most. Would they be having to do presentations often, or simply working in an office and sending emails or talking to patients and customers often. The courses should understand the roles that the students will have to go into and accommodate the course accordingly.
For a game artist a good knowledge of the software and artistic skill is crucial, no amazing teamwork and presentation skills would get you the job. Though they would be useful, they are needed with the technical skills of the trade. Yet companies won't just want a bunch of clones who can do the job, those that exceed expectations and have done extra things in their spare times are more valued. So courses need to balance out how to teach the trade whilst giving the students enough opportunities to learn other skills that will assists them. I get the opportunity to go to many different places to draw, opportunities to present my work to others and have had the chance to work in a group project, all which are experiences that I find very valuable.
The issue of that the technical skills I am learning could possibly be outdated by the time I entered industry isn't a large worry. The 3d technology has not changed much other than that now the consoles can handle higher poly assets and larger textures. The basic skills of using programs like 3ds Max are crucial and can be applied to other software's which the companies might use. Artistic skills as well have only changed to use digital media more in order to create art faster the basic ways of teaching it don't need to change drastically.
The main issue that may face students trying to find a job after the course is their own knowledge and skills and if they are good enough to compete with the thousand of other graduates leaving their similar courses. If their courses have given them the skills they need and they themselves have gone out of their way and perfected their skills and have good social skills they have all the capabilities of making it into industry. It is not just the course but the students own determination to succeed is what would determine if the student can make it.
There is always however the possibility to teach both or allow for experiential learning where individuals can gain certain "soft skills". For example team work skills can be enhanced by placing students in situations where they must work in groups to achieve an end goal. In this way students could be continuing studies they need to learn for industry whilst also gaining other skills. Some courses don't do this, but the students can have similar experiences if they joined university societies, especially sport societies as they can often require teamwork and communication.
This could also depend on the working environments the student would be going into however and to what skills they would possibly need most. Would they be having to do presentations often, or simply working in an office and sending emails or talking to patients and customers often. The courses should understand the roles that the students will have to go into and accommodate the course accordingly.
For a game artist a good knowledge of the software and artistic skill is crucial, no amazing teamwork and presentation skills would get you the job. Though they would be useful, they are needed with the technical skills of the trade. Yet companies won't just want a bunch of clones who can do the job, those that exceed expectations and have done extra things in their spare times are more valued. So courses need to balance out how to teach the trade whilst giving the students enough opportunities to learn other skills that will assists them. I get the opportunity to go to many different places to draw, opportunities to present my work to others and have had the chance to work in a group project, all which are experiences that I find very valuable.
The issue of that the technical skills I am learning could possibly be outdated by the time I entered industry isn't a large worry. The 3d technology has not changed much other than that now the consoles can handle higher poly assets and larger textures. The basic skills of using programs like 3ds Max are crucial and can be applied to other software's which the companies might use. Artistic skills as well have only changed to use digital media more in order to create art faster the basic ways of teaching it don't need to change drastically.
The main issue that may face students trying to find a job after the course is their own knowledge and skills and if they are good enough to compete with the thousand of other graduates leaving their similar courses. If their courses have given them the skills they need and they themselves have gone out of their way and perfected their skills and have good social skills they have all the capabilities of making it into industry. It is not just the course but the students own determination to succeed is what would determine if the student can make it.
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