Unemployment issues weren’t new when the Covid-19 pandemic struck which only aggravated the job insecurity faced by the Indian youth due to the regressive job market in 2020.
We had a massive wave of jobs that went online, in a work from home mode that still continues to be online. The majority of these jobs such as sales, data analytics, digital marketing and web development, were available for early career professionals. However, skills match led to a lot of open positions. Large IT companies are unable to close even half of their positions leading to a major revenue loss.
A new wave of platforms shaped up which connected learners to recruiters posts these courses as well. The trend was seen not just in technology-oriented courses, but finance, law, accounting and general management. These alternative credentials help individuals upskill themselves in emerging technologies in a short time and apply for jobs in available career domains. The best part was talent suddenly becoming borderless.
Nowadays, the online education market is largely driven by courses in artificial intelligence, data science, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, virtual reality and machine learning, according to a study by KPMG India and Google. These career fields are in high demand in the current job market, but the lack of skills among job seekers has prevented them from gaining employment. A bite-sized certification course is the only way to solve this problem in time!
Online certification courses have shown us the way to boost our economy through quality higher education. In a convenient and affordable format, these courses fill the skill gaps created by the fast proliferation of new technologies. Through this transformation in education, those at high risk of losing their jobs regardless of their academic backgrounds, will be able to transition into relevant roles. As opposed to traditional education, which puts academic history into much consideration, these certification courses provide an egalitarian space for professionals by allowing people from all backgrounds to pursue these courses.
As we shift toward a culture of lifelong learning and skill development, the landscape of higher education will be reshaped in order to provide better employment opportunities for the youth.
