By Kevin Mills, Vice President, Coursera for Government
A new IDC white paper, sponsored by Coursera, explores the benefits and organizational value of workforce development programs provided through Coursera for Government.
Despite initial gains following the onset of the pandemic, the global economic situation is uncertain. The International Labor Organization projects global unemployment has surpassed its 2019 level by nearly 21 million. Workers in low-wage jobs have felt this impact the hardest with global management firm, McKinsey and Company estimating that low-wage workers may comprise 43% to 64% of global workers displaced due to the trends influenced by COVID-19.
Meanwhile, employers are facing an unprecedented shortage of talent trained in digital skills. IDC reports that digital transformation-related IT skill shortages will affect 90% of all organizations by 2025, “costing over $6.5 trillion globally through 2025 due to delayed product releases, reduced customer satisfaction, and loss of business.”
To face these challenges, workforce development leaders are tasked with providing relevant and engaging skills development programs that prepare job-seekers for the in-demand jobs of today and for the jobs of the future.
Organizations partner with Coursera for Government to launch large-scale online programs that enable thousands of job-seekers to learn career-relevant skills. Based on interviews with seven Coursera for Government customers, who represent a broad and significant portion of the types of governments currently using Coursera’s services, IDC calculates that these benefits resulted in an average of a 27% increase in job placement among these customers.
While the experiences of each customer and their learners in adopting learning tools and programs may differ based on a number of factors, this report captures the real experiences of a select number of C4G customers at this important and dynamic time, as self-reported to IDC.
Additional benefits include:
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Lowered training costs: The Coursera for Government customers interviewed reported a 50% reduction in the number of learning platforms used to meet their workforce development needs.
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Job-seekers trained in less time: One organization reported that candidates were ready for the job market in half the time compared with other learning programs, while another reported that learners were able to shorten the time to complete courses from 24 weeks to 6 weeks.
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Learner-reported career benefits: According to another organization, 80% of learners reported career benefits from Coursera such as increased confidence to switch to a different field, increased opportunities for promotions, and an increase in interviews secured.
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High learner satisfaction: On average learners enrolled in the programs of the Coursera for Government customers interviewed provided courses with a rating of 4.8 out of 5 with one organization reporting that 90% of learners plan to continue using Coursera to build their career pathways.
The COVID-19 pandemic likely impacted the effects of learning and learning outcomes. For example, displaced workers may have had more time to complete online training programs and a greater number of jobs relying on digital skills taught by such programs may have been available.
However, the experience of these Coursera for Government customers demonstrates the value of quality online skill development programs, particularly at a time when these services are greatly in demand by governments and citizens.
As one Coursera customer interviewed by IDC shares, “Coursera is a valuable gateway back into learning.”
Read the full IDC white paper on Coursera for Government here.