Learners show growing emphasis on human skills like decision-making and planning amid economic volatility
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 14, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The acceleration of digital transformation, inflation, and global instability are driving increased demand for digital and human skills needed to thrive in the new economy, according to Coursera’s latest Global Skills Report. The report shows U.S. proficiency in technology and data science skills are declining and lag behind countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. However, U.S. learners showed higher proficiency in essential business skills including marketing, leadership and management, and strategy and operations.
“The Great Resignation and automation are mandating stronger investments in human capital, as institutions must prioritize developing the high-demand digital and human skills required to build a competitive and equitable workforce,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO. “Our data shows these skills are not equally distributed, and students and low-wage workers need access to flexible, affordable, and fast-tracked pathways to entry-level digital jobs that offer a foundation for a stronger and more inclusive economy.”
The Global Skills Report draws data from 100 million learners in more than 100 countries who have used Coursera to develop a new skill during the past year. The report benchmarks three of the most in-demand skill areas driving employment in the digital economy – business, technology, and data science. For the first time, this year’s report also highlights changes in ranking for each country, and state-specific data for the U.S. and India, where regional variations are notable.
Key U.S. insights from the report include:
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The U.S. remained flat in overall skills proficiency at 29th, trailing countries in Asia & Europe. Business skills proficiency rose in the U.S., with key areas like leadership and management increasing from 40% in 2021 to 67% in 2022. However, technology skills proficiency overall dropped significantly from 69% in 2021 to 43% this year. Proficiency in data science also fell sharply from 73% last year to 54% in 2022.
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U.S. learners in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and along the Pacific Coast had the highest skills proficiency in business, while those in the South lagged behind. Three midwestern states including Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana ranked highest in business proficiency throughout the U.S.
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Idaho showed the highest levels of technology skills in the country, outpacing tech hubs like California and Massachusetts. Learners in the state also earned a perfect 100% proficiency for mobile development skills. This reflects a growth trend driven by the number of high-tech companies in the state increasing 61% in the last decade.
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Learners in the U.S. increased focus on human skills amid rapid workforce changes. Workforce disruption caused by the pandemic and the pace of automation is forcing businesses to quickly adapt. Human skills like resilience, project management, decision making, planning, storytelling, and experiments were increasingly popular among U.S. business learners, as organizations worked to navigate change.
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The U.S. achieves greater gender parity in overall course enrollments but women still lag behind men in STEM. The online course enrollment rate for women reached its highest point (51%) in the last year, continuing a trend that started in 2020. Despite a rise in STEM enrollments from 35% in 2019 to 42% in 2022, women still trail men in the U.S.
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The U.S. remains behind the curve …….
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coursera-global-skills-report-2022-070100869.html