Campus Review Vol 30. Issue 01 | January 2020 | Page 16

policy & reform campusreview.com.au Bridging the gap It’s time to stop thinking in silos and ignoring the practical skills gap. By Carolynne Bourne I n days long ago in our home in the caves, we created objects and devices, and then constructed places to live, work, worship and play in. An object hewn out of bone or stone could equally be a technology that could harm us, or a design that could be harnessed to advance our lives. It is not technology that provides solutions; it is the human mind that identifies the problem then generates one or more solutions. It is the ways in which humans use that solution that in the end determine whether it is for the betterment of humankind or its detriment, even to its demise. As one human is inspired and has an idea, others in the present and from the past provide the know-how of making it – the selection of the stone, the flaking 14 technique, the twine to bind to the timber handle, the glue sourced from tree gum to become an axe. No one occupation is more important than another. Being human means we identify what we need, want and desire to meet our sense of identity, self-concept, lifestyle preferences, priorities and choices: a safer, faster car; a potato peeler that peels; a comfy sofa; undies that don’t ride up; an IT service that doesn’t crash. Designers and creatives are inspired to create ideas; engineers turn these ideas into technology and machines. Each works in their occupational silo, in a mindset that they are “the one” with “the” solution. In the scenario of “I can do it myself”, the “I” is a singular occupation (that is, a mechanical engineer, an industrial designer, an architect). THE ONE BRAIN APPROACH One brain thinks within its own singular capacity generated through values, personal attributes, qualifications and experiences. One person may work alone or in a collective with others working in the same occupation. In this scenario, failures may arise where the attitude is “I am an engineer, a designer, a scientist … The idea is mine and I know what to do”. In the collective, there is ‘group think’ – common experiences, common ways of thinking and working, common education and so forth. Here problems abound – designs taken to the manufacturer or builder founder. THE MULTIPLE BRAINS APPROACH It is prudent to purposefully source and work with those who have expertise in different disciplines. This draws occupations together to get the best know-how for each project. In adding other minds, other experiences, other qualifications and different backgrounds, problems can be solved together as they arise. These differences encompass age, gender, religion and culture, not to mention other occupations such as archaeologist,