The phrase “acquire a skill” may seem to have been overly used, and so may the phrase “get a degree”; however, reiterating their importance helps provide more clarity.
Looking at various debates on this topic, it may have appeared as though one path should be boycotted due to the overly prominent merits of the other. For many, one of the frontline reasons for getting a degree or acquiring a skill is to get a good paying job. For some, it may be to work in a field they are passionate about. As much as learning a skill may occur in the journey towards meeting the degree requirements, in some other situations, this may not be so.
Many companies are constantly looking for innovative minds that would help them solve problems and scale; often times in a proactive manner, and when it comes to this, knowledge gained in the process of acquiring a degree and knowledge gained via specific skill sets would be very useful in being part of such organizations; so, to a large extent, the focus is on the type of degree or course, and the nature of skill acquired. The relevance may be widely adjudged by its applicability to the needs of such companies where you seek to build a career.
Not every degree holder is skilled, and your skill is not necessarily measurable on paper, but on your abilities and how you can use such skills to solve problems and drive success.
Having said that, the process and manner in which degree-focused learning is delivered is quite different from the manner in which skill-based learning is delivered, with both serving a general purpose prior to your career; however, at the point where you kickstart your career in your desired area, skill-based learning often takes the day, because all you need at that point is to be better at your job. To do that, you need to understand the processes, tools, approaches and more which you need to thrive in your new role and career; hence, the emphasis is on learning to carry out tasks, learning to solve problems, and learning to remain a competitive employee, because with the changing business landscape, your company would adjust to such change, and so, you must acquire new skills to stay competitive.
Wrapping up, go for both skill-based learning and degree-based learning with a clear understanding of what purpose each one serves; however, in today’s world, your skills always set you apart, and often times, your skills and experience project your capabilities to the recruiters; hence, the relevance of continuous skill development must not be forgotten as that is what gets you the job and keeps you in it.