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Trends and future expectations in the year 2023 in the education and Skilling industry

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The education and skilling industry is expected to see a number of positive trends in the year 2023. These trends will offer more opportunities for people to access quality education and training, and will ultimately help to improve the quality of the workforce. Upskilling has been the focus in the year 2022 and is expected to be the same in 2023. The education sector has seen a significant transformation in recent years and appears to be the most impacted by the introduction of technology breakthroughs across industries. The new and innovative technologies are being adopted to cater the needs of the students and to make the overall learning process more engagement, interactive and efficient. The stage is already set for innovation to reimagine the future of learning, with its worth predicted to reach USD 30 billion over the next 10 years.

  • Expansion of program service providers into other industry areas
  • Integration of AI into the learning process and delivery
  • Deep-rooted outreach toward grassroots upskilling and education
  • Continuous development in job-ready skill and soft-skill training

 

Ashish Fernando CEO & Founder,iSchoolConnect

“While 2022 was a challenging year for edtech, it cannot be a blanket analysis for all subsets. Within the edtech sector, some companies soared, and others sank. The overseas education market saw phenomenal growth as more students flocked to foreign universities in quest of better opportunities and life. The US issued a record-breaking 82,000 student visas in the first 9 months of 2022.

2023 will usher in a new and transformative era of technological advancement in the education sector. The world will witness further expansion of program service providers into unique in-demand skills like Data Science, Ml & AI, Global law, etc. Subsequently, obliging the demand for personalization to fit the needs of every student will be further prioritized.

The presence of Artificial Intelligence will become more pronounced with its seamless integration into the learning and delivery process to eliminate biases, enhance personalization, and pace according to the individual’s capabilities. We can root for technology to swoop in to make education more accessible to populations in remote areas via online learning. The extent to which technology can permeate the rural system will determine how well teachers and counselors are available around-the-clock for improved guidance in remote locations via online connectivity and how well vocational training is provided through online courses.”

 

Amol Dani Co-Founder & CEO, Keybridge Global Education

“The need for continued upskilling of personnel and the demand for industry-ready professionals will make it imperative for higher edtech to shift gears. Platforms will need to pivot from a “program narrative” to one that focuses on holistic development and sustains over the journey of one’s career. With the re-emergence of Covid 2.0, organizations and professionals will need to be ready to embrace the “start-stop” nature of work and disruption of work activities. The emergence of 5G and integration of AI into the learning process, will power platforms to deliver immersive, personalized and synchronous learning experiences at scale. Access to faster and more intuitive technologies will also impact deep-rooted outreach towards grassroot upskilling and creating a culture of lifelong learning from the onset. The traditional intermittent approach to learning will no longer be effective for a workforce that needs to be ever-agile and adaptable. The global state of affairs and the focus on workplace skills will require organizations and professionals to embrace lifelong learning.”

 

Shadab Alam, Head, Internshala Trainings

“With the rising demand for students to acquire industry experience & the skills that are not taught in colleges, we at Internshala Trainings, are reinforcing our mission statement towards guaranteeing a successful career to our users and driving the skill development industry towards goal-driven strategies aimed at accelerating and guaranteeing successful career outcomes. Edtech is the one industry that grew by leaps and bounds post-COVID and this boost primarily came, not from big tier-1 cities, but was ushered in by cities in tier 2 and 3. To cater to this growing market, Internshala Trainings offers affordable quality content personalized for individual needs, including being available in their preferred language. Not only this, we are working to bridge the gap between education and employment, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where it is felt the most.”

 

Ashish Munjal, Co-Founder and CEO, Sunstone

“While the past year (2022) saw a monumental shift towards personalized learning and upskilling, the year 2023 will further witness an amalgamation of disciplines. The covid-19 pandemic tested our education system to its limits and the coming years would be guided towards fulfilling the learning loss that was incurred and making employability a priority.  Hybrid learning is becoming the norm owing to the rapid digital transformation of the education sector and with the advent of more personalised learning.

An important lesson that can be taken from the year 2022 is the need to bring accessible and quality education to the Tier-2 and 3 cities in India and also create employment for this talent pool. There is a significant lack of quality and accessibility with respect to higher education at the grassroots and tier-II/ tier-III levels. More focus is expected on delivering education at this level in the coming years. Sunstone, for instance, has its presence in about 50+ colleges in 35+ cities, which consists of tier-II/tier-III cities. 

Another trend that is shaping education is around students adopting multidisciplinary degrees. There’s been a sharp growth in students enrolling themselves in courses that offer deeper engagement in two separate academic streams in order to have flexible options for career progression and courses that make them industry ready. Colleges are now providing new programs and industry-ready courses  to pave new pathways for learners to meet the needs of the 21st-century workplace.

Skills have become one of the most important factors for consideration for recruiters and companies. According to the recent India Skills Report 2023, only 50.3% of graduating students are employable. Several edtech companies and startups working in the education sector are coming up with industry-relevant courses and skill certifications to fill this gap. We have and will continue witnessing numerous private players emerging and contributing to providing students with skill and industry-oriented knowledge.”

 

Akshay Munjal, Founder and CEO, Hero Vired

“This year, the Indian edtech industry witnessed a course correction after an artificial boom during the pandemic. New age technologies, such as metaverse, Augmented Reality, etc., are further expected to redefine the sector in the coming year. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and robotics technology have opened a gamut of opportunities for data scientists, machine learning specialists, blockchain specialists and AI engineers. 

Additionally, Gamification emerged as a major e-learning strategy as enterprises seek to create engaging learning experiences for their employees and motivate learners to make them industry ready. While the industry is witnessing the funding winter, the players’ resilience and agility to navigate the complex landscape have reaffirmed that edtech is here to stay. Gaming and eSports, along with the Metaverse industry in India, are expected to grow at an impressive CAGR of 37.1% and touch a whopping $758 billion by the end of 2026. 

I believe the coming year will see more technological shifts, and learners would need to constantly upskill and reskill to stay up-to-date with the industry requirements. Additionally, with hyper-personalisation, the edtech players will have to design programs and services to suit the learners’ understanding style and modify them accordingly to sustain growth.”

 

Diwakar Chandiok, INTO’s Vice President, Recruitment, South Asia

“Studying abroad offers numerous opportunities and perspectives, and in 2022 we witnessed many students attending their dream countries, revitalizing the study abroad sector. In contrast to 4.44 lakh in 2021, upwards of six lakh Indians went abroad until November of this year. In the months of June to August of this year, the US issued the most student visas, 82,000, of any country. Additionally, Indians currently represent the largest global student population in the UK, according to recently released official immigration statistics from the UK.

Postgraduate enrolment in students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math has surged. During the past two years, Indian students also have preferred humanities-related courses, particularly those in psychology, economics, and design. An increase in interest in STEM and tech courses can be attributed to flexible curriculum that incorporate prospects with the programme and the creation of innovative courses.

With the 2023 enrolment currently underway, INTO Global is committed to assisting students to achieve their academic aspirations but also advance relatively efficiently in their professional endeavours. India is projected to send approximately 1.8 million additional students to study overseas institutions by 2024, with many of these students coming from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. With increasing awareness of international education and the accessibility of financial assistance, the industry and stakeholders will progressively adjust to the evolving educational landscape.”

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