Two Global Higher Education Trends You Need to Know About in 2019

The way Western countries are preparing their young people for the workforce is ever evolving.

These trends are not small either. The trends expected to start taking shape in 2019 will force a recalibration of everything once considered.

Schools are tasked with educating students with skills for life skills and careers that have yet to be created.

This means a lot of what is being taught is still uncharted territory, changing how people look at higher education.

For those keeping an eye on things, they will see various groups – students, educator, and employers – changing behaviors in response to this global shift in paradigm.

Many people find college too expensive, plus it is failing to fulfill the needs of employers today.

When the education bubble explodes, students’ higher education goals will be forced to change in dramatic ways.

The future job market is looking to require a lifelong path of continuous education and training for people to stay valuable to employers.

Here are a few of the trends for readers to look out for in 2019 and onto 2020.

1. More Recruiters Will Be Asking for Micro-Credentials

The future is unknowable like at no other time in history. Business and education move at a much more quicker pace.

Things such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and much more are forcing the need to create new professions continuously.

It is to the point now that employees are expected to learn about new skills and information without knowing when and where they will even be needed.

This shift in paradigm will begin to nudge everyone out of their comfort zones.

Students and employees now must rethink how they can best gain skills employers require of them, giving birth to “micro-credentials“.

What are micro-credentials?

Micro-credentials are essentially “certification-style qualifications.” Individuals choose them to improve on skills found in a particular field or industry.

In most cases, micro-credentials are short, cheap online courses that allow an individual to obtain a digital certification or “digital badge.”

Some examples of fields where one can obtain a micro-credential are:

• Front-End Web Development
• Digital Marketing
• Data Analytics
• Social Media
• Self-Management
• Teamwork
• Customer Service
• Leadership Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Customer Service Email Etiquette

Online Education Will Explode

As technology progresses even further, online and semi-synchronous higher learning will begin to replace traditional classrooms, benefiting many who do not have time to take classes outside of the home.

Learning by listening to audio recordings, online videos, and virtual and augmented reality environments will become more commonplace. Google’s Expeditions application is one great example of this.

This will force course designers and instructors to find new and inventive methods that can be easily infused into the structure and holds students attention and accountable for their studies.

Moreover, while on the topic, these technological advances in higher learning will pave the way for a whole new sector.

Get ready for the future of higher learning because it is fast approaching.