The digital transformation has accelerated with the pandemic and has also affected the online training and teaching: in 2020 there were more than 23 million new registrations (as Udemy data points out). This period marked a before and after for the sector, making the whole world discover all the advantages that online learning offers.
Taking International Education Day, which was celebrated on January 24, as a context, it is worth highlighting one of the main objectives that Udemy shares with UNESCO: investing in people and prioritizing education. Decades of research confirm that higher investment in education leads to higher economic growth. For example, according to the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI) estimates, for every dollar that the government invests in education, GDP grows by an average of 20 dollars1. And each percentage point of a state budget that is invested in education has an impact on a growth of 0.9% of the country’s GDP.
But, are we prepared to face the challenges that the labor market is setting in the uncertain economic context? Are we prepared to face the speed at which changes occur in the digital environment?
Below, Udemy exposes the main trends to optimize training and learning for the future:
1. Creative capacity
In a digitized world, creative ability will become one of the most demanded skills in today’s world, being identified as engine for innovation in companies. In fact, the World Economic Forum, the International Monetary Fund and business analysts from around the world have pointed to creativity as the key to our future economies.
2. Digital literacy
Known as the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate and analyze information using digital technology. Digital literacy is not only about understanding how technology works, but about understanding what benefits and utilities it brings us. In Europe, more than 90% of professions require a basic level of digital knowledge2. However, not all the population has digital skills. For this reason, the European Commission has set itself the objective that 70% of adults acquire basic digital skills by 20253.
3. Collaborative work and learning systems
Thanks to the Internet connection in all technological devices, there are more and more tools that facilitate the systems of Collaborative learning, that is, they allow interaction between the people involved and work together on projects in real time. Skills related to this type of collaborative tools will continue to be key in the future, and the global market for team collaboration tools is expected to be valued at USD 56.14 billion by 20304.
4. Virtual reality
Virtual reality is already marking the new generations. The use of this type of technology has the power to immerse students in hands-on, interactive learning. Other of its benefits are greater concentration, as well as a greater emotional connection during the learning session. Regarding the future of this technology, it is estimated that virtual reality training will contribute 294,000 million dollars to the world economy in 20305.
5. Personal skills
Well-being is becoming more important in organizations. So much so that the personal skills that are most in demand internationally reflect the desire to better manage stress. Thus, according to the ‘2023 Workplace Learning Trends’ report prepared by Udemy, skills such as productivity and time management are some of the most popular in the last year. Training in these skills will continue to be essential in the future, as they can help reduce stress, as stated by 91% of workers6, in addition to positively increasing business results.
