With the president’s 2020 challenge and recent research estimates indicating that by 2018 U.S. employers will require 22 million additional workers with degrees, more Americans are – and will be – heading back to school. After more than 30 years of higher education market research and hundreds of studies for colleges and universities throughout the country, I’ve begun to see four trends emerging in adult (post-traditional) education:
Let’s examine these four emerging trends in more details and discuss some ways your institution can help meet the needs of this growing demographic.
The life expectancy has increased and so has the number of older workers.
Though, older workers are staying on the job, adults 45+ have the lowest percentage of associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
To advance in a current job, transition into a new career or just remain competitive in the modern job market, many adults 45 years of age and older will need higher education.
In addition, my research suggests that older adults may be seeking higher education for non-career related reasons as well – wanting to complete a degree they started years earlier to achieve a personal goal or for their own edification and enjoyment.
What you can do:
To best attract older adults, you should clearly and consistently communicate that you are aware of and sensitive to older students’ needs, and you should offer online and hybrid options in addition to classroom-based programs, as well as flexible scheduling and shorter term and program lengths.
In several recent client studies, a surprising trend surfaced: a significant portion of the local population of recent adult learners fell within the 25-29 year-old age range – a departure from the stereotypical profile of an adult student as someone in their mid-30’s.
In fact, in one study, half of the recent learners were 25-29 years of age. This tells us that younger adults are realizing earlier than they historically have that they need more skills and credentials if they are to have a sustainable career.
What you can do:
In addition to offering a wide variety of scheduling and format options, you will be best served by encouraging young adults to pursue a degree or finish a program they once started by reinforcing the statistical reality that they need to get an education now so that they can enjoy long-term career success into the future.
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows enrollment in graduate education consistently increasing both in real attendance and projected enrollment.
However, while interest in graduate education is expected to grow, there may be an even more dramatic increase as workers discover that to be most competitive, they’ll need more than an undergraduate degree, which is nearly the “new normal.”
As we become more educated as a nation and as our jobs require it, an advanced education will be necessary to remain viable and skilled in the fields we enter and progress in.
What you can do:
You should promote the availability of your offerings, as well as their value in the changing landscape. For motivated prospective students, achieving graduate education sooner rather than later will better position them for promotions and career transitions.
Additionally, if you’re able to establish and/or grow your post-baccalaureate education offerings now, your institution will be poised to take advantage of the future influx of graduate students that will be entering the market in the years to come.
Finances can often be the hurdle standing in the way of prospective students getting the higher education they desire.
While many have a resource that they are unaware of, such as employer provided tuition reimbursement benefits, the current state of the economy might lead some to believe that this is a declining benefit.
In a recent EducationDynamics study of 100 blue chip New York-area firms found that more than 80 percent were still offering funding for classes. About 90 percent of the employers with tuition assistance programs reported covering undergraduate courses and programs and 97 percent offered benefits toward graduate courses and programs.
What you can do:
Identify companies in your community that have tuition reimbursement benefits and seek strategic partnerships to provide higher education opportunities to their employees. In addition to working directly with companies with tuition assistance programs, you should reach out to employees to let them know what funding may be available to them.
The current climate in higher education can be a win-win for students and schools alike.
Students can gain the education they need to create secure and successful careers, and colleges and universities can reposition to most effectively serve them.
After all, competition is a part of our national identity and just as students are flocking to classrooms across the country to become more competitive in the workforce, colleges and universities need to design targeted marketing plans to remain equally competitive in the marketplace.
