The world of work has changed forever. But as organisations embrace digital transformation, skills in business, technology and data analysis are rapidly becoming short in supply. According to McKinsey & Company, a management consulting business, almost nine (87%) out of 10 employers worldwide believe they either already have a skills gap, or will have one within a few years – an issue that’s expected to lead to 85m jobs being unfilled by 2030.
In the UK, there’s a real desire among the workforce to upskill. A poll of 4,000 people found that seven out of 10 workers believe new skills will help them achieve their career goals this year, including promotions and increased job satisfaction.
So what’s holding the workforce back? Research by Coursera, a global online learning platform, found that 26% of Britons interested in studying for a degree were concerned they didn’t have time for it, one in four thought it would be too expensive, and almost one in three had some apprehension about going back to studying after a break.
Here, three students explain what it’s like to study for a business, technology or data degree on Coursera.
‘It was my childhood dream. You’re never too old’
As a single mum of three, Maria de Voogd has spent much of her professional life balancing work with looking after her family. But when she was made redundant from her job as a vice-principal of a secondary school in the Netherlands, she jumped at the chance to study for an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship with HEC Paris on Coursera. “It was the first time in my life studying without a job, it was exciting,” she says. “And being able to study online made it possible for me to combine the course with taking care of my family.”
De Voogd found the programme was “fast-paced” and had to upgrade her home wifi during the pandemic to accommodate her online classes alongside home schooling her children. But she enjoyed the content of the modules, which covered everything from communication and bookkeeping, to social entrepreneurship and analytics. There was a lot of peer feedback – including personalised support and coaching from HEC Paris professors – which has enabled her to build a global alumni network of contacts and improve her English language skills. “It’s given me so much confidence to approach every business challenge,” she says. “It really encouraged my self-esteem.”
After graduating in June 2022, De Voogd is about to start a new job as the head of communications for a regional police department. “It’s a totally new sector for me but thanks to my master’s degree, I’m able to step into a new industry and add value there,” she says. “It was my childhood dream to study business. You’re never too old to learn and grow your own knowledge and skills, but also as a person.”
‘The programme is very well designed and intuitive’
Though he lives in South Africa, Michael Grummitt was on a flight to the UK when he discovered he’d been accepted to study BSc Computer Science at the University of London, on Coursera. “I was thrilled,” he says. “While I was in England, I went to visit the campus and introduced myself as a student. I was so excited.” The 18-year-old is now back in Hermanus, near Cape Town, and has been enjoying his first year of university so far. “I’ve done three modules now. The most enjoyable part for me has been the variety of work and the assessment mediums – there are quizzes, games, it’s very well designed and intuitive. You can see they’ve put a lot of thought into it.”
While Grummitt considered going to university closer to home, he was swayed by the reputation of the University of London, particularly when it comes to computer science. A life-long gamer, he was interested in learning more about programming, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. He feels like he’s getting a bit of the social experience, too. “There’s a Slack group and it’s cool to be able to meet people from everywhere. It’s just like having lunch with the people that take your course.”
School closures during the pandemic had prepared Grummitt for studying online. But he says you need a certain amount of self discipline and motivation. “If I could give anyone advice, it would be to stick to the schedule as closely as you can. If you fall a bit behind, it’s easy for the work to pile up and become exponentially more difficult from there. And, ultimately, I don’t think you’d enjoy it as much.” He’s found it helps to take advantage of the access he has to his course professors and fellow students if he’s struggling. “You can’t be afraid to reach out. It always helps to ask.”
‘It was the perfect solution during a very busy time’
Bernard Frei left formal education at 16. But just a few years later, he would start his own sports marketing agency, the first of five businesses he has founded over his career. So it’s perhaps somewhat surprising that in 2021 he applied to study an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship with HEC Paris on Coursera. “I wanted to add some theory to the knowledge and experience I have gained over the years,” he says. “With two ongoing businesses to manage, various travel restrictions around the pandemic and a young family to take care of, Coursera provided me with the perfect solution during a very busy time.”
With such a long time having lapsed since he was in a learning environment, Frei says he felt anxious about his decision. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but the fear of failure was a great source of motivation. I was concerned I may not have the time required or that I had embarked on a ‘vanity project’, and that the course would lead me to neglecting my team, my family or my friends. I was also concerned I was too old to be taking this on and that I’d be considered unusual by my peers. Thankfully that didn’t happen.”
He’s now back at the helm of his US-based e-commerce company, World Rugby Shop, and is focused on helping to grow the popularity of rugby stateside. But he finds he’s still using the skills he developed in the degree programme every day. “I have adapted my approach to business significantly. The learning curve was steep but it was good to challenge what I thought I understood and introduce new methods to approaching and solving problems.” Above all, he says, he enjoyed getting to know his fellow students. “The effort that people took to support each other was extraordinary and an incredible aspect of the experience.”
Whether you’re at the beginning of your career journey or looking to enhance your skillset to make a mid-career transition, you can choose from a range of learning experiences on Coursera to find the programmes that are right for you.
