How employers view MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) has been a hot topic since these online courses first took off in 2012. Can MOOC credentials actually enhance your chances of getting hired or getting a promotion at work? Just reading through the numerous questions around this subject on the Q&A forum Quora demonstrates how much of a concern this is for those looking to develop their careers. Generally, the responses indicate that MOOCs are useful to develop your skills, but won't necessarily lead to that much wanted job or promotion.
But the results of a recent study conducted by UK MOOC platform, Futurelearn, show a positive shift in employer attitudes towards the benefits of online courses. Based on the views of 600 employers based in UK, US and Australia, the survey revealed that close to three quarters (73%) of employers believe online learning to be a valuable asset when considering the promotion of an existing employee, and over two-thirds of employers see credentials gained from online courses as a 'differentiating factor' when hiring, particularly for mid-management and junior staff. Overall, an overwhelming 92% of employers recognise the value of online courses as a learning and development tool.
These positive attitudes are also reflected in the investments in online training employers are willing to make within their organisations. We have already seen evidence of some of the larger, more notable corporates using MOOCs for workforce development, but Futurelearn's survey suggests this is becoming more mainstream with 80% of the 600 employers surveyed saying they would be willing to provide funding for online courses that staff take at their own initiative.
Stephen Somerville, Managing Director, Government and Employer Partnerships at FutureLearn, said: “The fact that online learning is part of conversations around hiring and promotions, and that employers are reporting an increase in its usage, is all really encouraging. We live in a digital age and it follows that employers should attribute such weight to professional development through digital mediums."
We live in an era where people change careers and jobs multiple times in their lifetime. These people will continually need to retrain and upskill if they are to keep afloat in a competitive job market. And online courses are ideal to address this need: “If we don’t actively encourage upskilling we risk sleepwalking into an era of almost unprecedented technological change. Online learning provides a platform that allows upskilling at scale and can be rolled out company-wide. If previously ‘professional development’ has meant cross-diarising and herding as many people into a room as possible for the afternoon, here is a solution that offers greater flexibility and allows learners to go at their own pace and balance professional development against competing priorities — while still having the benefits of being on the same course as their coworkers.", Somerville added.
These results could reflect a key turning point in the trajectory of online learning with more and more businesses recognising the value of MOOCs and other online courses to upskill employees at scale.
Article by Carolyn McIntyre, Founder & CEO of MoocLab
