Meeting the Moment: The powerful relationship between education & employment

The Education industry is known for many things – one of which is being resistant to change. I am confident that in the future we will look back on this period of the pandemic and eventual global recovery as the seismic shock to a hardened system whereby everything changed, once and for all.

Prior to the pandemic, a foreshock to the education system occurred as students and teachers pushed for affordability. As student loan debt ballooned into the trillions, enrollments stagnated and students aptly began questioning the value of a degree. At the same time, institutions began shutting their doors as pressure mounted on the system to evolve.

?The global pandemic delivered the main shock to the education system – without any other choice, instructors were forced to adopt fully online or some blend of online and in-person learning. In tandem, the need for short-duration skills training was and still is ballooning. The well-known Covid-driven ‘great resignation’ or ‘great reassessment’ led to millions of U.S. adults weighing their priorities when it comes to finding fulfillment and balance in their careers. And the path to finding that fulfillment? Our recent Great Resigners survey found 78% of U.S. adults who recently resigned or plan to resign from their job are pursuing online training courses or certificate programs, and 64% said these courses were essential to move into or move up in the career or field of their choosing.

?Online skills training – the non-degree learning that leads to specific licensing, certification or other required credential to gain employment – has been overshadowed by the typical 2- and 4-year degree programs for the better part of two decades. However, based on the explosive demand for education that leads to secure employment in the highest-demand fields, we know that this is a moment for skills training.

?The Covid pandemic has been a catalyst for across-the-board change – education and employment were no exception. The perfect storm of factors has led to a rise in funding, legislation, and credibility?for alternative paths to a successful career and upward mobility to the record number of Americans who quit their jobs in the last six months and the ten million who are currently un- or under-employed.

?At Cengage Group, we have been focused on the powerful relationship between education and employment. With six businesses in our portfolio, we are proud to support diverse learners who pursue education to achieve their dreams and improve their lives. My attention is increasingly focused on the workforce skills market where we can clearly see the impact of our courses and programs on people’s lives. The moment for life-changing education is here to stay – and it can be found in the workforce skills space. ?

?In our Fiscal 2022 Q3 update call last month, we shared that our Workforce Skills business continues to post strong top-line growth of close to 20%. We have no doubt that this growth will continue. And, today we welcome Infosec to Cengage Group – expanding our Workforce Skills offering with Infosec’s high-quality cybersecurity training and credentialing for professionals.

With 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions globally and nearly 600,000 of those in the U.S., Infosec is a known player that has already helped train more than 100,000 cybersecurity professionals and educated more than 5 million adults to improve cybersecurity knowledge and safety at home and work. Tapping into Cengage Group’s existing resources, global partnerships, networks and scale, we see tremendous potential for Infosec as an integral part of Cengage Group’s portfolio and ongoing path to sustained growth.

Going into my 10th year as the CEO of Cengage Group, I have not been more excited about our potential as I am in this moment. As we set the stage to help millions of people pursue education to achieve their dreams and improve their lives, I know that regardless of their path, whether it is a traditional degree or a course toward certification or licensure, today’s students deserve learning that works – and Cengage Group is here to meet this moment and deliver. ?