A learner from the Netherlands succeeds with a BAAS from the University of North Texas

Daniella is a new graduate of the University of North Texas (UNT). She recently earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) with a concentration in media innovation. Daniella is an international student from the Netherlands who faced many challenges when she was first searching for a degree program that could meet all of her needs. However, she soon discovered UNT and their partnership with Coursera.

Before starting her classes with UNT, Daniella was studying international marketing management at a local university in the Netherlands. She completed two internships while in school there, but she ultimately found the course structures and limited resources didn’t work for her. Daniella realized that she needed a university and a platform that provided plenty of student support, which led her to UNT and Coursera.

A university enrollment coach guided her in the beginning, which left Daniella feeling very upbeat about the start of her experience with UNT. “It was refreshing with the enrollment process, conducted by my enrollment coach, as she would call me by phone, and walk me through each step of the process. She even called to congratulate me once I was accepted into the UNT BAAS program. It was so positive, I expected more from my journey with UNT.”

Daniella was already familiar with Coursera by the time she started the BAAS program because one of her sisters also used the platform. In fact, this is how she found the program in the first place. Even so, she was still pleasantly surprised by the program’s flexibility, as she could apply many of her past courses from other institutions as credit towards her degree from UNT. She realized the program’s potential immediately and dove in with excitement.

Today, Daniella praises the program for its out-of-the-box thinking and practical approach to learning. She says she was able to expand her knowledge of American culture and learn more about the city of Denton, Texas (where UNT is located). Daniella liked having opportunities to learn about nonprofits and participate in community service even while overseas. She also studied with a diverse student body, gaining insights and perspectives from the different cultural backgrounds of her fellow learners.

When talking about her favorite parts of the BAAS program, Daniella emphasizes her appreciation for the connections she had to instructors and staff. Through the technology available to her, she could attend live video sessions and correspond via email or Slack. As someone with a busy schedule, Daniella found it helpful that she could access all her course outlines and agendas for planning purposes. She also enjoyed having reading materials in both electronic and hardcopy formats for each course.

Balancing work, school, and life can be demanding for anyone. But Daniella made it happen by staying organized through detailed planning. And she advises other learners like her to trust their support systems. Daniella says assistance was always available during her time in the program, and the instructors are very resourceful with the additional help they provide.

In celebration of her success in the program, Daniella participated in an online commencement ceremony, complete with cap and gown while her family watched proudly. Now that she’s earned her degree, she’ll next pursue a career in digital marketing and take additional courses from UNT to support her professional goals.

Daniella’s story is a testament to the great opportunity of accessible learning. If you want to build practical skills in a flexible online degree program with a diverse student body, then the BAAS program from UNT that was right for Daniella may be right for you too.

Why not check it out today?

Learn more

Coursera announces new AI content and innovations to help HR and learning leaders drive organizational agility amid relentless disruption

By Trena Minudri, Chief Learning Officer at Coursera 

The rapid adoption of Generative AI creates an urgent and intense need for organizational agility, with companies using it to retool systems and processes to improve their customer offerings and increase productivity in order to stay competitive. L&D and HR leaders will play a crucial role in building organizational agility and implementing programs to support change and take advantage of growth opportunities created by disruptive forces. This entails swiftly deploying new technologies, adapting to change, and unlocking new talent and skills. 

We’re excited to introduce several new content offerings and AI-powered platform innovations to help learning and people leaders develop an agile workforce.

New cutting-edge content and credentials from trusted industry and university leaders 

In a world where machines are increasingly capable of producing content at scale without guardrails for quality and accuracy, trusted institutions will play an even more critical role in education and skills development.

We have launched several new short-form content, courses, and credentials from top industry brands, covering a range of in-demand areas, from generative AI, deep learning, augmented and virtual reality, and 5G to cybersecurity, software, and cloud. Selection includes: 

We have also launched content in high-demand business topics such as DEI strategy, compliance and safety, Power BI, and Project Management. In addition, our Leadership Academy includes content from over half (11) of the world’s top 20 business schools globally, at a fraction of the cost of MBA or executive leadership programs. Leadership skills such as management, communication, and agility are critical to engage, navigate, and motivate employees amid rapid change. Selection includes:

Introduction to Public Speaking: Learners can hone their skills in realistic environments with Virtual Reality, beginning backstage with speech practice and preparation techniques before delivering their final speech in front of an audience.

New AI-powered innovations for a more personalized and interactive learning and scalable authoring experience 

Even though AI has created an increased demand for reskilling, it will be a central part of the solution. AI enables the ability to develop training content at higher quality and lower cost, reduce language barriers using machine translation, and enhance the learning experience by making it more personalized and interactive. We’re thrilled to share new AI-powered tools and features that are currently in development and targeted to launch later this year: 

  • PERSONALIZED JOB-ALIGNED LEARNING – Roll out targeted learning at scale powered by an onboarding flow that captures learner goals to inform the recommendation engine, simplifies role and skill-based discovery to better guide learners, and reduces the burden on the learner to find the right content when they are first getting started. 
  • COURSERA COACH POWERED BY GENERATIVE AI – Learners will have access to a virtual coach that can answer questions and share personalized feedback in real-time. The coach can provide quick video lecture summaries and resources, such as a recommended Clip, to help learners better understand a specific concept. It can also communicate in different languages and for any education level, creating a more inclusive and engaging experience for globally diverse learners. Coursera Coach is powered by generative AI and grounded in our expert content—optimizing learning with trust and confidence.

  • EXPANDED LANGUAGE ACCESS WITH ML-POWERED TRANSLATIONS – To make the platform more accessible, we are deploying machine learning at scale so learners can take coursework in their own language. By the end of the year, course readings, lecture video subtitles, quizzes, assessments, peer review instructions, and discussion prompts across 2,000+ courses will be translated from English into Spanish, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Indonesian, and Thai by the end of the year. 
  • AI-ASSISTED COURSE BUILDING POWERED BY GENERATIVE AI – Based on a few simple inputs from a human author, a new set of AI-powered features can auto-generate course content  — such as overall course structure, readings, assignments, and glossaries — to help authors dramatically reduce the time and cost of producing high-quality content. Organizations can seamlessly integrate their privately-authored content alongside expert instructors, to create custom credentials faster and at scale. 

“In today’s rapidly changing landscape and evolving job market, organizational agility and resilience rely on a strong reskilling and upskilling initiative. The Coursera platform offers personalized, hands-on, and adaptive learning content, empowering employees to practice and master new skills in generative AI, cybersecurity, and other emerging fields. This equips them not only for their current roles but also for future opportunities.” 

–Gina Smith, PhD, IDC Research Director, IT Skills for Digital Business Practice

Additional product innovations to benchmark employee engagement: 

  • Learning Hours Dashboard – Measure engagement as a leading indicator of skill development.  
  • Filtering on Organizational Data  – Uncover learning trends and gaps within your organization with the ability to filter insights by business unit, geography, or role. 
  • Downloadable Clips Reports – Get granular insights into learning activities for short-form content, including which Clips are most popular and how learners progress from bite-sized content into courses providing deeper skilling. 

In today’s dynamic business landscape, leaders are under increasing pressure to navigate fast-changing market forces and achieve more with limited resources. Building an agile and productive workforce is vital to driving business outcomes. We’re looking forward to supporting learning and people leaders across industries with content and innovations that will enable them to play an even more critical role in building talent agility and giving their technology and business counterparts the foundation to achieve new growth and innovation imperatives. 

To learn more about Coursera for Business, visit coursera.org/business. 

New Coursera survey shows high demand for industry micro-credentials from students and employers in tight labor market

By Scott Shireman, Global Head of Coursera for Campus

In a competitive and fast-changing labor market, employers increasingly expect their entry-level talent to join their workforce already equipped with job-relevant skills and hands-on experience. At the same time, university-age students and their parents are thinking more critically about the ROI of traditional three and four-year degree programs: most notably, whether students will secure a job after graduation. 

As a result, Coursera is seeing universities and colleges around the world leverage entry-level professional certificates, also known as industry micro-credentials, and career-relevant skills training in their degree programs to improve student recruitment and graduate employability. 

To better understand this phenomenon, Coursera surveyed nearly 5,000 students and employers across 11 countries—Australia, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (U.S.) in collaboration with two market research firms, Dynata and Repdata. In each country, we explored the motivations, needs, and challenges of both students pursuing a degree and employers who seek to hire them. 

Among other compelling data points, we found that 90% of students and recent graduates said including industry micro-credentials, or in this case, entry-level Professional Certificates, in an academic program would make them more likely to enroll in that program.

The key findings from the Advancing Higher Education with Industry Micro-Credentials Report include:

Students and recent graduates globally believe industry micro-credentials make them more likely to land a job. 

  • 90% agree or strongly agree that earning an entry-level professional certificate will help them stand out to employers and secure jobs when they graduate – and 86% agree that a micro-credential would help them succeed in their job. 
  • On average, students are 76% more likely (74% in US) to enroll in a degree program that offers industry micro-credentials
  • More than half (55%) want to earn a Professional Certificate that counts as credit towards their degree.
Standing out and getting a job (students)

Industry micro-credentials help hiring decision-makers solve for their top two challenges: identifying and validating applicants’ skills. 

  • Employers both recognize and value industry micro-credentials: they are on average 72% more likely to hire a candidate who has earned one. 
  • 88% of employers agree or strongly agree that a professional certificate strengthens a candidate’s application. 
  • 77% of employers are already using or actively exploring skills-based hiring – and 97% of employers are considering it.
Influence of Professional Certificate on hiring (employers)

These global trends are largely reflected in country-specific data. Among students and recent graduates surveyed in the U.S., for example, 86% agreed that earning an industry micro-credential will help them stand out to employers and get a job after graduation. 

  • 81% believe that micro-credentials will help them succeed in their job once hired.
  • 74% said that the inclusion of relevant micro-credentials would influence their choice of a degree program at their university.
  • 66% said the credential “counting as credit toward a degree” was their highest motivating factor, while 43% ranked it “being offered by an industry-leading company” at the top.

Among U.S. employers, 86% agree that earning an industry micro-credential strengthens a candidate’s job application, while 74% believe that this credential improves a candidate’s ability to perform in an entry-level position.  

  • Employers said they are, on average, 74% more likely to hire a graduate who has a Professional Certificate.
  • 53% said finding applicants with the specific skills needed for the job was the biggest challenge they face when hiring recent graduates.
    • 61% ranked human or “soft skills” – important for transformation and change management – such as critical thinking or communication as most difficult to evaluate in the hiring process; tech skills were second, at 55%. 
    • Not surprisingly, those same employers said soft skills are difficult to find among recent graduates: 65% ranked those skills as most lacking, followed again by tech skills at 46%. 
  • 61% rank whether a micro-credential comes from an industry-leading company as the most important quality indicator.
  • 39% have hired at least one candidate with a microcredential, a signal of a turning tide in hiring approach for employers. 

In May, Coursera launched Career Academy to enable students to discover in-demand career paths and learn job-specific skills with industry microcredentials developed in collaboration with Google, IBM, Meta, and Intuit, among others. These entry-level professional certificates as well as applied skills training create job-ready students while simultaneously building more resilient higher education institutions. 

Higher education institutions including Hawaii Pacific University, Louisiana Tech University, the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education, K L (Deemed to be) University, and Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (Deemed University) are leveraging industry micro-credentials from Coursera to offer a practical learning experience that pairs academic knowledge with the practical skills needed to succeed in a professional role.

By linking skills-based learning to skills-based hiring, higher education institutions can fill gaps in their curricula and build a bridge between their degree programs and the demands of today’s employers. At the same time, employers can diversify their hiring pipelines while being assured that their new hires are job-ready. 

To download the full report and explore the key findings, visit here. 

Editor’s Note (February 2, 2023): This blog post has been updated to reflect expanded survey results from the following countries: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The global figures have been updated accordingly. Our sample sizes enabled us to obtain results with an industry-standard range of error at a 95% confidence level. 

IFC  Report: One new job is added to the Mexican economy for every 20 people trained on Coursera 

By Nicole Amaral, Skills Transformation Lead, Americas 

Ana Lilia, a chemical engineer and working mother from Mexico, used online training to change careers and become a freelance scientific writer after losing her job in the country’s pre-pandemic economic downturn. It’s now her principal income, and during the pandemic, the flexibility of online learning and remote work allowed her to balance running an independent business and taking care of her son. 

Stories like Ana Lia’s show the potential for online learning to create more equal opportunity for women and other underserved populations. According to new research from IFC, greater access to online learning for women can boost their economic opportunities by helping them develop in-demand skills and enter new careers. The study, developed in partnership with Coursera and the European Commission, found that 40% of women online learners in Mexico report positive career outcomes, while online learning also produces gains within the larger economy: in Mexico, one job is created for every 20 people trained on Coursera. 

The new research about Mexico is part of the “Women and Online Learning in Emerging Markets” report from IFC, which uses data from Coursera to quantify women’s participation in online education, identify challenges to greater participation, and provide recommendations for the public and private sector to improve life-long learning opportunities and outcomes for women.

“Women are at the center of recovery efforts after the COVID-19 pandemic. Job losses for Latin American women were 2.5 times higher than for men, and recovery has been slow,” said Juan Gonzalo Flores, Mexico Country Manager, IFC. “This study shows that online learning can be a powerful tool that helps women find new jobs. It also creates new – much needed – jobs in the economy. At IFC we’re committed to investing in the technologies that shape the future of education and yield dividends for all.”

Among other key findings in Mexico: 

  • The COVID-19 pandemic increased women’s enrollment and accelerated an already strong trend towards online learning. 
    • Over half (51%) of women and (48%) of all learners in Mexico said they would have postponed studies or not studied at all if online learning were not an option.
    • In Mexico, the pandemic pushed women’s share of online course enrollments to parity, from 45% in 2017 to 50% in 2021. 
    • According to platform data, 33% of all learners in Mexico do not hold a bachelor’s degree. 
    • 72% of women and 79% of men reported they will continue online learning following the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • Online learning can lead to career outcomes and economic gains in Mexico. 
    • Since the onset of the pandemic, about 44% of all learners surveyed in Mexico found a new job, set up a business, or improved their job or business performance after taking online courses, compared to 37% on average for the four countries studied (Egypt, India, Mexico, and Nigeria). 
    • In Mexico, one job is created for every 20 people trained on Coursera, compared to one in 30 globally, according to the analysis. Improved skills and qualifications create new jobs directly through the creation of new businesses. Jobs are also created indirectly through increased consumption and economic activity driven by higher incomes. 
  • Women and other underserved populations view online learning as more accessible than in-person education.
    • 66% of surveyed learners have a monthly household income below the 50th percentile of less than 15,000 Mexican pesos, suggesting that learners with diverse backgrounds are utilizing online learning opportunities. 
    • Nearly half (48%) of women online learners in Mexico paid for their online courses out of their personal savings, compared to 59% of men. Women are more likely to rely on free trials than men. 
    • Women in Mexico are more likely than men to be driven to online learning by family obligations (13% of men, 24% of women) and safety (23% for men, 27% for women). 
    • 47% of LGBTQ+ learners report feeling more comfortable voicing their opinions when learning online than in-person, and 36% of them report being more likely to request help or ask questions rather than in-person.

The “Women and Online Learning in Emerging Markets” study draws on data from nearly 97 million Coursera learners in over 190 countries, surveys of nearly 10,000 learners across Egypt, India, Mexico, and Nigeria who completed at least one lesson on the platform, and interviews with over 70 global learners and industry experts.

Our study found that greater access to online skills training can help women unlock career opportunities, and in doing so, build a more competitive and diverse workforce that creates new jobs and has the potential to grow the local economy. We hope this research inspires government, business, and academic leaders to address some of the key challenges facing women talent in Mexico, including free access to broadband connectivity, more flexible options to continue education, and increased job placements for women across the country.

For more information, download the report from the Digital 2 Equal initiative website here. To learn more about Coursera for Government, visit coursera.org/government.

Reporte de IFC: Un trabajo nuevo es agregado a la economía mexicana por cada 20 personas capacitadas en línea

Ana Lilia, una ingeniera química y madre trabajadora de México, usó el aprendizaje en línea para cambiar de carrera y transaccionar a una carrera como escritora científica independiente, después de haber perdido su trabajo en la recesión económica previa a la pandemia. Este es ahora su ingreso principal y, durante la pandemia, la flexibilidad del aprendizaje en línea y el trabajo remoto le permitieron un balance entre la gestión de su negocio independiente y el cuidado de su hijo.

Historias como la de Ana Lilia nos demuestran el potencial del aprendizaje en lía para crear una mayor igualdad en oportunidades para las mujeres y otras poblaciones desatendidas. El incremento al acceso a la educación en línea para las mujeres puede mejorar sus oportunidades económicas ya que les ayuda a desarrollar habilidades en demanda e ingresar nuevas carreras profesionales, según un reporte elaborado por la Corporación Financiera Internacional (IFC, por sus siglas en inglés), miembro del Grupo Banco Mundial. Según el estudio, 40% de las mujeres que aprenden en línea produce ganancias en la economía en general: en México, un trabajo es creado por cada 20 personas capacitadas en Coursera. 

Esta nueva investigación sobre México es parte del reporte de IFC titulado “Las Mujeres y el Aprendizaje en Línea en los Mercados Emergentes”, desarrollado en asociación con la plataforma global del aprendizaje en línea, Coursera, y la Comisión Europea. El reporte analiza datos de Coursera para cuantificar la participación de las mujeres en la educación en línea, identificar barreras para una mayor participación, y ofrecer recomendaciones para los sectores público y privado para mejorar las oportunidades permanentes y los resultados para las mujeres. 

Juan Gonzalo Flores, Country Manager de IFC México, comentó: “Las mujeres están en el centro de los esfuerzos de recuperación después de la pandemia de la COVID-19. Las pérdidas de trabajo para las mujeres latinoamericanas fueron 2.5 veces mayores que para los hombres, y la recuperación ha sido lenta. Este estudio demuestra que la educación en línea ofrece una herramienta conveniente para ayudar a las mujeres a encontrar nuevos trabajos. De igual manera, ayuda a crear nuevos puestos de trabajo, que son muy necesarios para la economía. En IFC estamos comprometidos a invertir en tecnologías que darán forma al futuro de la educación y generarán dividendos para todos”.

Entre otros resultados claves en México:

  • La pandemia de COVID-19 incrementó la inscripción de las mujeres y aceleró la tendencia en crecimiento ya fuerte hacia el aprendizaje en línea.
    • Casi la mitad (51%) de mujeres y (48%) de todos los estudiantes en México mencionaron que habrían pospuesto sus estudios o no habrían estudiado si el aprendizaje en línea no fuera una opción.
    • En México, la pandemia llevó a la paridad la proporción de mujeres inscritas en cursos en línea, incrementando del 45% en 2027 al 50% en el 2021.
    • Según los datos de la plataforma, el 33% de los estudiantes en México no cuentan con un grado de licenciatura.
    • El 72% de las mujeres y el 79% de los hombres reportaron que continuarán aprendiendo en línea después de la pandemia de COVID-19.
  • El aprendizaje en línea puede generar resultados profesionales positivos y ganancias en la economía en México. 
    • Desde el inicio de la pandemia, alrededor del 44% de los estudiantes encuestados en México encontraron un trabajo nuevo, establecieron un negocio, o mejoraron su desempeño laboral o comercial después de haber tomado cursos en línea. Esto es en comparación con el 37% promedio para los cuatro países de estudio (Egipto, India, México y Nigeria).
    • En México, un puesto de trabajo es creado por cada 20 personas capacitadas en Coursera, comparada con uno por cada 30 a nivel global, según el análisis. La mejora en las habilidades y cualificaciones crea nuevos puestos de trabajo a través de la creación de nuevos negocios. De igual forma, nuevos puestos de trabajo son creados de forma indirecta, a través del incremento en el consumo y las actividades económicas atribuidas al incremento en los ingresos.
  • Las mujeres y otros grupos desatendidos perciben el aprendizaje en línea como una forma más accesible de aprender comparada con la educación presencial.
    • El 66% de los estudiantes encuestados tiene un ingreso mensual menor al 5avo percentil de menos de los 15,000 pesos mexicanos, lo cual sugiere que estudiantes de perfiles diversos están aprovechando las oportunidades del aprendizaje en línea. 
    • Casi la mitad (48%) de las mujeres estudiantes en línea en México pagan por sus cursos en línea con sus ahorros personales, comparado con el 59% de los hombres. Las mujeres son más propensas a depender en las pruebas de cursos gratuitas que los hombres.
    • Las mujeres en México son más propensas que los hombres a ser impulsadas al aprendizaje en línea por las obligaciones familiares (13% de los hombres, 24% de las mujeres) y la seguridad (23% de los hombres, 27% de las mujeres).
    • El 47% de los estudiantes LGBTQ+ reportan sentirse más cómodos expresando sus opiniones cuando aprenden en línea que de forma presencial, y el 36% de ellos reportan ser más propensos a solicitar ayuda o hacer preguntas en lugar del aprendizaje presencial. 

El estudio titulado “Las Mujeres y el aprendizaje en línea en los mercados emergentes” se basa en datos de más de 97 millones de estudiantes de Coursera en más de 190 países, encuestas con más de 10,000 estudiantes en Egipto, India, México y Nigeria que han completado al menos un curso en la plataforma, y entrevistas con más de 70 expertos a nivel global y expertos en industria.

Nuestro estudio encontró que un mayor acceso a la capacitación en línea puede ayudar a las mujeres a desbloquear oportunidades profesionales y, al hacerlo, crear una fuerza laboral más competitiva y diversa que cree nuevos puestos de trabajo y tenga el potencial de hacer crecer la economía local. Esperamos que esta investigación inspire a los líderes gubernamentales, empresariales y académicos a abordar algunos de los desafíos clave que enfrentan las mujeres talentosas en México, incluido el acceso gratuito a la conectividad de banda ancha, opciones más flexibles para continuar la educación y más oportunidades de empleo para las mujeres en todo el país.

Para mayor información, puede descargar el deporte de la página de Digital 2 Equal, aquí. 

Discover how UNT graduate, Steven Schmidt earned his bachelor’s while working full-time

After earning his culinary degree in Washington, Steven Schmidt went to work as a chef at the University of North Texas. There, Steven also enrolled in the online program for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) from UNT in the fall of 2020.

After earning his culinary degree in Washington, Steven Schmidt went to work as a chef at the University of North Texas. There, Steven also enrolled in the online program for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) from UNT in the fall of 2020.

Steven chose UNT for its prestigious reputation. And along with learning from the respected faculty of UNT, Steven has also enjoyed doing group projects on Coursera with students in his program from across the country and the world.

With the flexible online learning experiences offered by his program through Coursera, Steven has been able to keep his commitments to his job and be present at home with his family. He even notes how his daughters sometimes join him around the table at home so they can all do their schoolwork together. He says with other programs, he would only be able to take one course a semester.

During his time in the BAAS program, Steven has also been promoted in his job. He’s now the Culinary Operations Chef at UNT and he plans to eventually get his master’s from UNT as well. Steven credits his time-management skills for his personal and professional success so far. His tip for students starting the program is, “Set your schedule and stick with it.”

If you’re a working professional who’s interested in getting your bachelor’s degree from a highly regarded institution, you’ll find the flexibility to do it with the BAAS program from UNT. Apply today and see just how successful you can be.

Learn more about the University of North Texas BAAS program

Announcing the Coursera Global Skills Report 2021

By Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO

Today, I’m excited to introduce Coursera’s third annual Global Skills Report, an in-depth look at the state of skills globally. This year’s study draws on performance data since the pandemic’s onset from over 77 million learners on Coursera to benchmark business, technology, and data skills proficiency for over 100 countries. For the first time, the Global Skills Report also reveals the top skills needed for high-demand entry-level jobs, including the learning hours required to develop them.

The pandemic has displaced millions of workers around the world, including long-term unemployment for many. In the US, 43% of unemployed people have been out of work for six months or longer. However, 97 million new digital jobs are still expected globally by 2025. McKinsey estimates that more than half of displaced low-wage workers may need to transition into higher-wage roles and develop new skills to remain employed in the new digital economy. That’s over 4.9 million workers in the US alone.   

Access to a variety of job-relevant credentials, including a path to entry-level digital jobs, will be key to reskilling at scale and accelerating economic recovery. The Global Skills Report aims to help governments and employers assess skill gaps in their workforce, identify roles that can be filled with diverse, non-traditional candidates, and details the specific skills that are needed for these roles.

Understanding the Global Skills Rankings

In the regional sections of the report, we rank each country’s competency for business, technology, and data science skills. The rankings are relative, and over 100 countries within the report are ranked against one another, with percentile rankings attributed to each skill proficiency. That means a country that shows 100% skills proficiency ranks at the top of the 100+ countries and a country at 0% is at the bottom. Coursera breaks out each group’s percentile rankings into the following four categories based on quartiles: 

  • Cutting-edge (76% or above)
  • Competitive (51% – 75%)
  • Emerging (26% – 50%)
  • Lagging (25% or below)

For example, the US has 64% skills proficiency in business, 69% in technology, and 73% in data science. The country is ranked 29th overall globally and accounts for the following trends:  

  • Despite the rapid rate of digital transformation, US digital skills proficiency falls behind that of many countries in Europe and Asia. Ninety-one percent of US businesses accelerated their digitization plans in 2020, but skills among the workforce have not transformed at the same pace. The US ranks 29th globally, trailing behind leaders Switzerland (#1) and Luxembourg (#2) in Europe, and Japan (#4) and Singapore (#10) in Asia. Out of over 100 countries, the US ranks 40th in business, 35th in data science, and 30th in technology skills.   
  • Regional divides persist. Ranking US regions as though they were countries, digital skills proficiency among learners in the South falls in the bottom half of all countries globally, compared to the West, which ranks in the top 10%. More than half (55%) of the jobs in the South are middle-skill positions, which require training beyond high school but not a four-year college degree. However, there are not enough workers in the region trained to fill these jobs. Coursera learner data further highlights the need to invest in skills training to close that gap. 
  • Despite an exodus of women from the US labor market, women are pursuing online education at a higher rate than pre-pandemic. Over 1.8 million fewer women were in the workforce in March 2021 compared to February 2020. However, the share of overall Coursera course enrollments in the US from women increased from 42% in 2018-2019 to 55% in 2020. The share of STEM course enrollments – which account for many foundational digital skills – for women grew from 35% over 2018-2019 to 47% in 2020. As the world recovers from the crisis, this points to a trend where online learning is helping level the playing field for women by giving them access to job-relevant skills.  

New Research: Entry-level Jobs Pathways

Based on the performance data of millions of learners on Coursera globally, the Global Skills Report also reveals the skills and time required to prepare for high-demand entry-level roles:

  • Recent graduates and mid-career changers can develop entry-level, digital job skills in as little as 35 to 70 hours (or 1-2 months with 10 learning hours per week). On the other hand, someone with no degree or technology experience can be job-ready in 80 to 240 hours (or 2-6 months with 10 learning hours per week).
  • Learners must invest in both soft and technical skills to stay job-relevant in a rapidly evolving labor market. For example, an entry-level cloud computing role like a Computer Support Specialist requires learning both soft skills like problem solving and organizational development, and technical skills such as security engineering and computer networking. Similarly, entry-level marketing roles require data analysis software and digital marketing skills in addition to soft skills like strategy, creativity, and communication. 
  • The most transferable skills across all future jobs are in human skills like problem solving and communication, computer literacy, and career management. Foundational skills like business communication and digital literacy enable workers to participate in increasingly tech-heavy and global work environments. As people change jobs more frequently, job search and career planning skills will be critical to role transitions and sustaining employment. 

With 77 million learners, 6,000 institutions, and more than 5,000 courses from the world’s leading universities and industry educators, Coursera has one of the largest data sets for identifying and measuring skill trends. This year’s Global Skills Report is further enriched by pandemic-driven trends, including 30 million new learners who joined the platform in 2020. 

To download the full report and explore insights unique to your country or region, visit coursera.org/global-skills-report.