Times are changing. Today’s generation of learners has been plunged into a different world of challenges and problems as they approach their education. Naturally, with these changes come different priorities for them.
Educational institutions have varying priorities and policies in place. Some of these reflect the students’ priorities but some don’t. Read on to get a peek at what learners are clamoring for.
Career-Readiness
Once upon a time, people went to school, got a job, and lived happily ever after. Things are rarely this simple anymore. As Millennials and Gen Z students know, one of the hardest parts of this narrative is finding a job that affords them liveable wages.
Students are more discerning of both the industries they are trying to enter and the programs they enroll themselves into. They typically chose ones that are built to prepare them for the job marketplace. This involves considering guaranteed internships to a proven track record for institutions.
Knowing this, you’ll need to highlight and communicate how your courses and teaching methods have connected your alumni to successful careers.
Soft Skills
Other than hard skills learners attain from courses, soft skills are as in-demand as ever. Some of the skills learners are looking to develop alongside their courses include:
- Communication
- Business Writing
- Problem Solving
- Creativity
- Presentation Skills
- Management
- Negotiation
- Decision Making
Employers are looking for these skills the most since they can be harder to teach. Get a competitive advantage by embedding programs and activities that hone these skills in your programs.
Health And Engagement
It’s no surprise that health is among the top concerns of students. Whether we like it or not, health has pervaded the consciousness of everyone in the industry, be it the students, the educators, or the administrators.
How does this translate to your programs? Well, it can be as systematic as access to virtual lessons or personal like checking up on learners periodically. Engaged learners return the care they receive twice fold. Stellar word-of-mouth reviews from previous students is a key ingredient to the success of most highly sought-after programs.
Customization
If real estate is all about location, location, location, then the education industry is all about choices, choices, choices. Whether it’s by choosing the mode of learning from online courses to in-person training, financial setups from learn-now-pay-later schemes to job guarantees, to end results of their hard work like certifications or demo days.
Some quick tips to help students achieve their goals:
- Find your niche market and fulfill their specific needs
- At the same time, don’t see learners as a monolith with one set of needs
- Assure students of their future and that you’re there for them
With the economic crisis affecting all industries, students are looking to education providers as a source of opportunity for career shifting or advancement. Learners are not just enrolling to a course, but entrusting and investing their time and effort to you. And with their success comes your success.
Make sure that your advertising reflects these priorities in order to be part of the next generation’s leaders and industry movers and shakers.
