University education has its place. The depth, and general quality of academic thought and intellectual stimulation that attendance at a university provides cannot be underestimated. Most university courses do not provide enough practical skills. An example? Nursing.
Undergraduate courses have the capacity to offset fee payment via HECS.
Technical communication has been a whipping board for university funding. The first communication courses to go during cost cutting and other restructures in academic institutions are technical communication courses.
The lack of interest students place on these courses against mainstream media courses like journalism is also a case in point, there is no prestige associated with being a technical communicator. Yet ironically, we would be amongst the most prolifically published writers in the world!
Each university lecturer in these fields has a singular approach to these courses.
Most people with a background of university education become technical communicators after some years of experience in their field. The rise into technical communication for these people was something unforeseen while attending university. It certainly was for me. Hence the tendency to "require" further training at a post graduate (commencing a second degree) level.
Cost of post graduate education at universities is a spiralling and unreachable goal for many people. Post graduate courses offered in technical communication are charged at an astronomical cost, without access to HECS, and for very little long term return. The time it takes and the effort involved, aside from the cost, are not justified. I know one technical communicator, after finishing a tough post graduate course in technical communication, spent five months waiting for work, then only attained part time employment, for less than they were earning before commencing the course.
Arranging funding for post graduate research with one or a number of university institutions for technical communication is something that could be a long term goal.
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