By 
By Jessica Hawkey, Managing Director at redAcademy
The importance of having a university degree to get a job is changing. It would be flippant to declare it dead – companies aren’t abandoning the value of a degree when choosing candidates altogether – but it is no longer the de facto benchmark for talent.
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Over the past few years, there’s been a rise in skills-based hiring strategies where employers prioritise portfolios and practical experience over formal degrees, particularly for mid-level roles. And the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that a significant number of South African companies are taking the expectation of a degree out of the application process.
Technology sector leads the charge in rise in skills-based hiring strategies
The technology sector is one of those leading this charge. Roles that were once perceived as degree-dependent, like development, quality assurance and cloud infrastructure, are being increasingly filled by candidates who can prove what they know and show how they work. This is one field that is constantly changing with new tools and frameworks emerging at immense speeds, so companies are looking for people who can contribute instantly to the business.
This doesn’t mean that training is dead either. It’s just changing its shape. Learning that takes place too far away from lived environments, tools and delivery pipelines and teams risks becoming irrelevant.
A curriculum that stretches over several years may still be academically sound, but by the time it’s over, the job it was aligned to may have changed completely. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 emphasised this point, stating that skills disruption is so high that employers expect 39% of employee core skills to change by 2030.
Employers looking beyond technical ability
Employers are paying attention to more than technical ability, they want early career candidates who understand how to contribute to a team, how to communicate, how to remain accountable – people who have insight into what it’s like to operate inside the office.
These qualities are consistently influencing hiring decisions and play a defining role in whether or not someone becomes productive early on in their career. Often, people coming straight into the office from university discover that their theoretical understanding has very little relationship to the real world.
In short, it is important to invest in work-aligned learning.
Distinction between exposure and integration is key
The distinction between exposure and integration is key. Internship models do offer some insight into lived working experiences, but they often lead to limited growth because learners sit on the edges of real growth. Tasks risk being disconnected from actual work requirements and are often more admin-related.
They’re exposed to the office, but not integrated within it. Integration models are built on the foundation of output and provide mentoring and measure home learning against real tools and environments. This approach creates pathways that link training directly to industry expectations.
Of course, no discussion about employment is complete without mentioning AI. Many tasks are becoming automated and the role of the human contributor is changing. AI tools can test code, highlight errors and suggest improvements, which really does reduce time spent on repetitive checking. They can also be used to improve learner skillsets so they can step into roles with confidence. The technology doesn’t remove the need for certain roles, it simply changes the skillsets required.
And employers are adapting their talent strategies to fit this new paradigm. Many prefer candidates who have shown commitment to their chosen path. Successful candidates are often those who have researched their chosen field and approached it with intent, showing the qualities companies really want – grit, pride and accountability.
Pursue of degrees no more aligning with current job market
While families still encourage matrics to pursue degrees, it’s an expectation that isn’t really aligning with the current job market anymore. The cost of lengthy degrees and the time required to complete them isn’t returned on the investment as many qualified learners are still searching for roles that match their qualifications. Today, immediate entry into structured, work-aligned programmes provides early exposure to opportunities and a very realistic road to career development.
That alignment between relevance and readiness is what redAcademy focuses on, providing learners with real experience inside delivery environments that mirror the pace and structure of the teams they’ll eventually join. It gives them support and a start that can set them up for life.
