Future of Work

Melbourne Business School partners with ��Ӱ��Education

ashley.mcguire1 — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 18:33:49 +0000

Melbourne Business School partners with ��Ӱ��Education ashley.mcguire1 Wed, 02/22/2023 - 11:33

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (Wednesday, 22 February 2023)

Melbourne Business School partners with ��Ӱ��Education to launch its new online portfolio.

Melbourne Business School – Australia’s most prestigious business school – is partnering with market-leading EdTech company ��Ӱ��Education to develop and take a new suite of online offerings, including a new part-time Online Master of Business Administration (MBA), to market for the first time.

This landmark new partnership between Melbourne Business School and ��Ӱ��Education combines Australia's leading business school and home of Australia’s #1 MBA[1] with Keypath’s global expertise in online education, to launch Melbourne Business School Online.

Professor Caron Beaton-Wells, Dean – Internal, Melbourne Business School

"Melbourne Business School Online advances our purpose of unleashing ideas and leaders for a sustainable future by making the Melbourne Business School experience more accessible. Our goal is to offer the finest business management curriculum and learning experience in Australia to more people, from more walks of life, than ever before.”

"We're delighted to be working with ��Ӱ��Education to bring Melbourne Business School Online to life, thanks to their expertise at reaching and engaging a diverse range of future students and transforming online curricula into truly engaging and inclusive learning experiences for students and educators."

Ryan O’Hare, CEO Australia & Asia-Pacific, ��Ӱ��Education

“Through this partnership, students, irrespective of location, will now be able to study with and graduate from the most prestigious business school in Australia – unlocking greatness in themselves and across their communities.”

“We are bringing together Melbourne Business School’s high standard of academic excellence and unparalleled reputation, and ��Ӱ��Education’s expertise in flexible and innovative online learning.”

“We know education really does change lives, and we’re thrilled to help Melbourne Business School launch their Online MBA and short courses.”

In addition to taking Melbourne Business School’s flagship MBA online for the first time, ��Ӱ��Education is partnering with Melbourne Business School to launch an innovative new online marketplace enabling students to choose from a wide range of high-quality, online short courses and career accelerators.

Dr. Nora Koslowski, Chief Learning Innovation Officer at Melbourne Business School

“Through our partnership with Keypath, Australia's premier business school experience is now more accessible than ever to ambitious professionals who have fast-paced lifestyles, regardless of where they live or how they work.”

“��Ӱ��is instrumental in helping Melbourne Business School design digital-first offerings in an intuitive and interactive format. With their support, we're delivering an agile, future-focussed curriculum at scale and creating an inclusive online community featuring the smartest minds in business.”

Ryan O’Hare, CEO Australia & Asia-Pacific, ��Ӱ��Education

“Employer demand for candidates with a range of business-related skills is back to pre-pandemic levels, and we know these professionals will be critical to supporting recovering economies worldwide.”

“As together we launch Melbourne Business School Online, ��Ӱ��Education will support Melbourne Business School to access prospective students everywhere and deliver an interactive, engaging learning experience that offers students the exact skills they need to grow their careers.”

As an online education partner for Melbourne Business School, ��Ӱ��Education will provide program-focused learning design, marketing, student recruitment, student support, and marketplace hosting services.

��Ӱ��Education will act as an extension of the school’s team, maintaining a high-quality educational experience while accelerating the growth and quality of the online program portfolio.

Registration for the online MBA begins in late February for classes beginning in June 2023. For additional information and program details, please visit online.mbs.edu.

Professor Caron Beaton-Wells, Dean – Internal, Melbourne Business School, and Ryan O’Hare, CEO Australia & Asia-Pacific, ��Ӱ��Education.

Additional quotes attributable to Dr. Nora Koslowski, Chief Learning Innovation Officer at Melbourne Business School

“Melbourne Business School and ��Ӱ��are united in our mission to equip students to ignite ideas, lead organisations and meet change by delivering Australia's most innovative online educational experience.”

“With Keypath's support, Melbourne Business School can now take its purpose to unleash ideas and leaders for a sustainable future much further. We can now provide even more access to opportunity to the brightest students, regardless of where they live or work.”

“We're delighted to work with ��Ӱ��to offer Australia’s premium MBA to a new group of learners – those who prefer new modes of instruction, those who may have work or caring commitments that make face-to-face attendance impossible, or those who live across the country.”

Additional quotes attributable to Ryan O’Hare, ��Ӱ��Education

“Melbourne Business School is the most prestigious business school in the Asia-Pacific region, delivering Australia’s best MBA and executive education courses. At ��Ӱ��Education, we share Melbourne Business School’s strategic vision to deliver Australia's finest online education experience with exceptional career outcomes accessible to all ambitious minds in business.”

“By putting the student experience first and partnering with Melbourne Business School to develop engaging, career-relevant online courses, we are making world-class business education more accessible, and more flexible, than ever before. So, the world's brightest students can access an MBA or short courses at Australia's premier business school, 100% online, from anywhere.

“Universities across the globe are partnering with ��Ӱ��Education to design and deliver high-quality, career-relevant, and industry-aligned programs built for working learners and the future of work, even across traditionally on-campus degrees with professional or qualifying placements.”

About Melbourne Business School:

Melbourne Business School is the University of Melbourne’s graduate school in business and economics. Its degrees and short courses are accredited by AACSB and EFMD (EQUIS) and are ranked among the best in the world by Financial Times[2], QS[3] and Times Higher Education.

In 2022, Melbourne Business School's Full-time MBA program was ranked #1 in Australia by the Financial Times and in 2023 was ranked #1 in Oceania by QS[4]. Melbourne Business School Online is an initiative of Melbourne Business School Ltd, which delivers its MBA and other award courses on behalf of the University.

About ��Ӱ��Education:

Founded in 2014, ��Ӱ��Education is a global, market-leading EdTech company. In partnership with some of the world’s leading universities, ��Ӱ��delivers career-relevant, quality online education programs to students from all backgrounds, genders, cultures, and experiences.

The suite of capabilities ��Ӱ��Education provides to its university partners includes designing, developing, launching, marketing, and managing online programs. ��Ӱ��also undertakes market research and provides student recruitment, support, and placement services.

Today, ��Ӱ��Education has approximately 800 employees globally, with partners and operations in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Media Enquiries:

Andrew Ramadge, Melbourne Business School
A.Ramadge@mbs.edu

Katherine Bowman, ��Ӱ��Education
Katherine.Bowman@keypathedu.com.au

[1] https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/mba-rankings/oceania/2023

[2] https://rankings.ft.com/rankings/2866/mba-2022

[3] https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/mba-rankings/oceania/2022

[4] https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/mba-rankings/oceania/2023

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��Ӱ��Education

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Building a Canadian Skills Market Through Improved Credit Transfer

��Ӱ��Education US — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 14:19:06 +0000

Building a Canadian Skills Market Through Improved Credit Transfer ��Ӱ��Education US Mon, 03/21/2022 - 08:19

Today’s working learners have a lot of choices when it comes to getting the training they need to advance, upskill, or reskill. Colleges and universities are no longer the only avenues available for quality post-secondary education - and traditional degrees and diplomas are only one way to demonstrate competency.

We have all seen the investments governments across the country are making in this area; micro-credentials and non-traditional programs are in demand because they’re short, flexible, and stackable. From the perspective of the learner, investing time, money and energy into a new qualification or credential is much simpler to justify if it’s a means to a greater end, rather than an endpoint. Keeping the door open to continued advancement means we need a system to recognize quality learning and what constitutes a credential.

And of course, the learner’s perspective is often of someone with a mortgage, family responsibilities and an established career already; so, adding a degree or diploma to the wall by attending a full-time multi-year program on campus is no longer realistic. This demand for flexible, online learning is creating opportunities for post-secondary institutions, employers, and workers. But there’s something missing.

Student Pathways

Traditionally, colleges and universities don’t always recognize the credits of other colleges and universities. How could they? There has not been a standard way to assess a course, and the result is that students end up needing to repeat courses when they transfer from one institution to another, costing them valuable time and tuition fees.

Ontario has taken some steps to remedy this for students transferring from College to University or vice versa. ONTransfer.ca has developed a qualifications framework and transfer guide to outline the knowledge and skills expected of holders of each qualification and how to apply them to their goals. For example, an Ontario Certificate of Qualification could be awarded to someone qualified to work in a specific trade or occupation in Ontario. They may be able to use this certificate towards transfer credits for related college diploma programs. However, there is still more to do: as ONCAT has recently reported, we still need better data sources and systems to see the patterns in student mobility and, therefore better understand their needs, which are linked to the needs of the labour market. The project includes three briefs covering regional disparities, socio-economic pathways, and prior student grades.

Prior Learning Assessment

One way to remove the doubt when it comes to recognizing and giving credit for prior learning is through Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR). PLAR helps validate informal learning, such as knowledge gained through work experience. In her article “Prior Learning: Unlocking A Little-Known Career Superpower,” Susan Forseille, PLAR Director, Thompson Rivers University, defines PLAR as “… processes that allow individuals to identify, document, have assessed and gain recognition for their learning done outside of a formal classroom.”

Competency-based learning is all about allowing a student to proceed through a curriculum at their own pace, progressing as competencies, or skills, are proven. It’s related to PLAR, but we can think about their differences in terms of timing: PLAR helps a student bypass certain courses by demonstrating what they already know, whereas a program designed around competency-based learning requires a student to demonstrate their skills before they can proceed. This makes individual competencies recognizable and marketable to employers, in addition to the whole-course approach to certification.

As we shift out of the COVID-induced economic disturbances, filling workplace and productivity gaps is the booster shot our economy needs. Competency-based learning and recognition of transferable credits can help speed things up so working learners can put their skills into action even as they continue their certification. According to the BC Prior Learning Action Network, “the benefits of PLAR include credential completion, cost-savings and enhanced career opportunities within considerably shorter time frames. From an employer perspective, PLAR makes the organizational succession planning process smoother, requiring less time and financial resources to help both existing and potential employees fill labour gaps. In times of economic turmoil, PLAR can help job seekers upskill and reskill to advance or change their careers. Of note, PLAR can bring up as much as $31 million dollars to BC’s economy.”

What’s Ahead?

Now that colleges and universities have more competition for the hearts and minds of working learners, they need to be able to offer quality courses and make them transferable and stackable to meet the needs of today’s learners—something ��Ӱ��can help with.

The world we live in values—and demands—speed and efficiency, as well as quality. We encourage and enable our partners to launch programs with a high degree of complexity to meet the changing workplace needs of high-demand sectors and by empowering learners to overcome long-standing barriers to entry.

When we make it easier for learners to transfer their learning and previous credits from other institutions, informal, and non-formal learning, we can help people get on their way to their goals faster.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

Contact us today to learn more about how ��Ӱ��Education can help your institution offer quality online degree programs to meet the needs of today's learners.

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Graeme Owens, EVP & Country Manager at ��Ӱ��Education Canada

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Future of Work

��Ӱ��Education expands operations into Southeast Asia

��Ӱ��Education US — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 15:19:59 +0000

��Ӱ��Education expands operations into Southeast Asia ��Ӱ��Education US Fri, 02/11/2022 - 08:19

We're excited to announce that we’ve expanded our operations into Southeast Asia and partnered with SIM Global Education (SIM GE) and Sunway University to offer new online graduate degree and diploma programs as well as graduate certificates in data science and business management for students looking to upskill and reskill for the future of work.

In partnership with SIM GE, we are launching two new online graduate diploma programmes in Business Management and Data Science and five graduate certificates in Analytics, Digital Marketing, Cybersecurity Management, Information Technology Management and Human Resource Management. The first intake of students is July 2022.

These programs will be offered online, expanding SIM GE’s on-campus programs to reach an even wider and more diverse future student cohort across Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries and delivering on the increasing student demand for access to business management and data science graduate degrees in an online modality.

We know that Singapore is poised to be a global and regional technology and business hub and utilizing KeypathEDGE data, we’re seeing strong employer demand for roles and skills in Data Science and Management, with exponential growth in job postings. In being able to offer this suite of online programs with SIM GE, we can provide students across Southeast Asia greater flexibility, as they do not need to commute to campus for classes and will be able to expand their knowledge and skillset on their own schedule.

In addition to our first partnership in Singapore, we have also partnered with our first Malaysian university partner, Sunway University. In October 2021 we launched a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme and in January 2022 we launched a Master of Data Science. Both online degree programs provide students with the opportunity to gain in-demand skills and learn from industry experts while providing all the benefits of an on-campus program, without long commutes to campus and a set lecture schedule.

At Keypath, we’re seeing tremendous growth and opportunity in the Southeast Asia market as students are looking for opportunities to extend their knowledge and skillset while also future-proofing their careers as the future of work continues to evolve. Our research at ��Ӱ��has identified that next to affordability, most students delay further study due to work and family commitments and lack of time. Universities that offer postgraduate online degrees, diplomas and certificates are able to expand access to education and provide the flexibility that the working learner requires.

We’re continuing to partner with universities across the world to design and deliver online programs aligned to the skills demands of the future of work that help solve our global social and economic challenges. When partnering with Keypath, University faculty design and teach the program curriculum, and we provide the program management to support an enhanced online student learning experience, including marketing, recruitment, student placement, and support services.

If you’re interested in learning more about how partnering with ��Ӱ��Education can help expand the reach and impact of your degree program, please get in touch.

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��Ӱ��Education expands operations into Southeast Asia

Partnering with SIM Global Education and Sunway University to expand access to online education, creating greater flexibility for students

Howell Williams, Chief Development Officer, ��Ӱ��Education

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Are micro-credentials really the answer?

��Ӱ��Education US — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:19:27 +0000

Are micro-credentials really the answer? ��Ӱ��Education US Tue, 01/25/2022 - 14:19

Keypath's Executive Vice President and Country Manager of Canada, Graeme Owens, sat down with Canadian HR Reporter to discuss online macro-credentials and the benefits they can provide to universities.

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Graeme Owens, EVP & Country Manager at ��Ӱ��Education Canada

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Future of Work

Designing a Better Online Student Experience

��Ӱ��Education US — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 21:27:37 +0000

Designing a Better Online Student Experience ��Ӱ��Education US Wed, 01/12/2022 - 14:27

When the pandemic hit Canada, two million postsecondary students had their learning experience change. Moving them to a remote environment was a huge undertaking, and with the uncertainty and urgency, the user experience design — or “UX design” — could not be a top priority. Videoconferencing fatigue set in. Professors and instructors faced turned-off cameras. Students had so many new distractions outside of the typical classroom.

But emergency remote teaching can't be the long-term solution. According to a study from the Oxford journal, Interacting With Computers, an emphasis on UX design can “improve customer satisfaction and loyalty through the utility, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction with a product.” In online education, that means putting the student at the centre, cultivating engagement, and facilitating a connection. Successful UX design changes over time and is almost always a reflection of the culture, the technology and the zeitgeist of the day.

In just the last decade, the online user experience has changed dramatically. While the dot-com boom of the 90s birthed Amazon and Netflix, shifts in technology allowed them to pivot their business models that disrupted and dominated their industries. The gig economy created a switch from taxi cabs to Uber; hotels to AirBnB. And today there’s Tesla, which has tapped into the culture of digitization to move the traditional car shopping experience entirely online. In each of these examples, as the technology of the moment became wedded to UX design, it made existing services more convenient, more affordable, more accessible, and more disruptive.

The user experience of education is no different. From candle-lit monasteries in the Middle Ages to postwar desks in rows facing a chalkboard, the classroom experience has always mirrored the culture around it. That is also true in distance education — which has come a long way in just a few decades.

Distance education in the 80s

A few decades ago, some universities began acting on an opportunity they saw: offering distance education for those already employed but wanted to upskill. For example, someone with a diploma could land a job as a chemist, but you needed more to advance in the workplace. The University of Waterloo was one such institution, offering 20-40 cassette tapes by mail for each of the 25 courses required for the Honours Science degree. They included recorded lectures, as well as occasional course materials.

Students would find themselves playing and replaying the tapes to reach an understanding before mailing off their hand-written assignments. Self-discipline was a must, as there was no ready access to professors if you had a problem. Using the technology of the time — cassette tapes, ball-point pens, and postage stamps — you could earn a degree and advance in your career to management and beyond. All while you were working, raising a family, and paying a mortgage.

These were the first working learners, and they started in a time before computers, before the internet, before videoconferencing, before the exponential increase in the speed of technology. Of course, we wouldn't dream of doing distance education by mail now. The time for that user experience is gone. But it does raise the question: if we think it’s a bad idea to copy the user experience of a bygone era in the digital age, why would we try to replicate the physical classroom in an online format?

Designing a Better Online Learner Experience

If Canadians want excellent digital learning, shouldn’t we start by asking how we build a quality digital learning experience that digital natives will be at home in? Because in their world, if a user experience isn’t seamless, fast, intuitive, and of high quality, it won’t survive. Failing to account for UX design also isn’t in the institution's best interests, ultimately. No university wants to risk its reputation by offering low-quality online courses. There is, quite simply, a massive qualitative difference between putting an existing course online and designing a course, from the ground up, as an online course.

If we want to make the most of the medium, maintain course quality and offer a learner-centred design that digital natives will feel at home in, here are five unique pedagogical principles and tools universities might consider building courses around:

Mastery Learning - In the mastery learning model, learning replaces teaching at the centre of our education systems. Students move at their own pace as they master knowledge and skills. Though the concept has been with us since the 1960s, technology can help enable and scale it like never before.
Flipped Classrooms - Students view pre-recorded lectures or readings on their own time and use class time to engage with the instructor and each other on related case studies, problem sets, or structured discussion.
Virtual Reality - According to ABI Research, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) shifts “the learning process from passive to active, allowing students to interact with content and practice their knowledge in real-time conditions. Learning by experience leads to better understanding, enhances knowledge recall, and strengthens retention. Immersive and interactive experiences stimulate students’ motivation and increase their engagement level, which are fundamental factors for achieving learning goals.”
Gamification - Gamification has evolved to engage learners by making it competitive, immersive and engaging by leveraging our natural desires for socializing and achievement. It rewards learners by providing a leaderboard, prize, status, or progress bar.
Virtual Support - Course leaders can encourage interactions and support through team-based learning, virtual study groups, chat-bot tutors, and real-time translation.

Enter OPMs

Already, the writing is on the wall: EdTech venture capital has increased 14 times since 2010. However, digital spending consists of only 2.5 per cent of global education expenditures pre-lockdown. Recognizing that, universities are responding.

A growing number of postsecondary institutions are using online program managers (OPMs) to offer, market, and optimize online learning without the need to build their own course content. ��Ӱ��is one of these, reaching thousands of students across Canada and worldwide by designing, developing, launching, marketing, and managing online programs in service of our university partners. We prioritize career-relevant online education solutions that enhance the learning experience, and as a result, advance student outcomes.

We know that digital natives are looking for more from their online education. Although mass scale is needed for online learning to be profitable, unless learners are offered personalized experiences like in the pedagogical tools above, they will become less engaged. EdTech is betting on this future. As HolonIQ reports, “COVID-19 has thrust Education Technology onto the global stage, supporting the rapid transformation of the way the world learns.”

Education is changing rapidly. From new course designs to new students (like the working learner and digital natives) and new pedagogies — mastery learning, flipped classrooms, virtual reality, gamification, and virtual support — the post-COVID world will be one of the most exciting times to be a student. And far removed from candle-lit monasteries, chalk-dusted classrooms, and video calls.

Get in touch with us if you're interested in learning more.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

Graeme Owens, EVP & Country Manager at ��Ӱ��Education Canada

Industry Insights

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Future of Work

Programs and Pedagogies for 2022 and Beyond

��Ӱ��Education US — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 21:25:29 +0000

Programs and Pedagogies for 2022 and Beyond ��Ӱ��Education US Thu, 12/16/2021 - 14:25

The future of work

The shift in the way we work happened in a matter of weeks with the arrival of COVID-19. All at once, employees needed strong digital and technical skills while they transitioned to working at home, began streamlining processes, started meeting online, and developed the new tools they’d need to reinvent how they served their teams, customers, and clients.

The change had been predicted for some time. A 2017 report by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth said that by 2030, automation and changes in existing occupations could threaten the jobs of more than 10 per cent of Canadian workers unless they acquired new skills. What no one could have foreseen, of course, was how quickly it happened. And, now that the change is here to stay, we’re just beginning to grapple with what it means for skills development over the long term.

As Onrec, an online resource for HR directors and recruiters reports, professional skills now stay fresh for about five years, whereas they used to have a shelf life of 10-15 years. For technical skills, this can be even shorter. According to the ILO Global Commission of the Future of Work, “today’s skills won’t match the jobs of tomorrow, and newly acquired skills may quickly become obsolete.” That’s why upskilling and continuous learning need to become a priority for workers at all stages of their careers. TopResume has even placed “Continuous Learning” in the number one spot of their Top 13 Job Skills Employers Want in 2021.

All of this is perhaps why learning and opportunities for development have become the second most important factor in workplace happiness (after the nature of the work itself). Prioritizing upskilling serves the employer and the employee.

Where is the growth? Where are the gaps?

Now more than ever, the gaps we need to address in our labour market are clear — due to technological advancements, climate change, globalization, and the pandemic — and we must help workers upskill or reskill to bridge them.

Perhaps nowhere is that more clear than in health care. Due in large part to the pandemic, Canada is seeing shortages that have reached a critical level. “Addressing the health workforce crisis is going to require an all-hands-on-deck approach. We can no longer afford to approach this from different silos,” says Dr. Katharine Smart, Canadian Medical Association president. “Until we commit to addressing decades-old issues such as training, retaining and recruitment of physicians and health workers, the health system — which no longer serves the needs of Canadians — will continue to crumble.” As I’ve shared before, we have what we need to begin addressing this shortage, now, through online reskilling and upskilling while workers stay on the job.

Similarly, the IT technicians, data scientists, and cloud computer programmers (LinkedIn’s number-two in-demand global skill in 2020) the market urgently needs can be trained online while they work. For example, the University of Toronto offers a certificate requiring three courses online through a mix of synchronous and asynchronous programming (and by the way, cloud computing is number 11 on TopResume’s list of top skills).

Building trades are also in demand, especially when combined with proficiency in climate change mitigation technologies, such as solar power. There are openings in well-paying careers such as electrical wiring, HVAC, carpentry, modular design and construction, and solar installation. The shortage comes on the heels of the retirement of the sector’s Baby Boomers -- and the need for new talent is critical to keeping projects on time and on budget. “By 2029, we will be short about 100,000 tradespeople if we don’t do anything,” says Kieran Hawe, chief operating officer of construction services company EllisDon Corp.

The future of postsecondary education

In postsecondary education, the pandemic was a catalyst for upskilling as well. It triggered a large-scale spontaneous experiment in how learning that was once offered in lecture halls, could be delivered online. Faculty who moved to online learning for the first time found that it wasn’t simply a matter of converting the on-campus experience to a digital format — and that the implication for the future is that we will spend the next few years re-imagining what an on-campus course looks like online for digital natives, from the ground up.

For example, Athabasca University, Canada’s largest online-only school, takes a learner-centered approach to skills development. Course leaders encourage peer-to-peer interactions (such as team-based learning and virtual study groups) that develop soft skills like active listening, speaking and critical thinking that will be in the highest demand for Canadian employers. As Andrew Schrumm reported for RBC, Athabasca’s April 2020 enrollment grew by 12.3% for undergraduate and 10.7% for graduate studies; an early signal of student preferences in the COVID-19 era.

The move to capture the market — working learners eager to upskill or reskill on their own time and in their own communities — is currently being spearheaded by online, non-degree granting institutions. There are opportunities for Canada’s postsecondary institutions to scale and grow with this demand and many are already embracing the digital pedagogical shift by adopting existing digital-enabled innovations such as mastery learning, flipped classrooms and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Looking ahead, new augmented and virtual reality technologies and AI developments will make virtual learning more “hands-on” than ever, allowing students to practice and explore without the risk of harm or error. Through a headset, nursing students could walk around a simulated hospital environment to learn about different medical objects. In manufacturing, students would no longer be dependent on materials (that are subject to cost and availability restrictions) and could virtually manipulate anything they can imagine in a 3D world. The possibilities are endless, and could remove some of the remaining barriers to wide-scale online learning.

I’m proud to say that ��Ӱ��is partnering with Canadian universities to integrate some of these approaches as we help working learners retrain and upskill in in-demand sectors such as policing/criminology, and engineering management. In fact, engineering management is expected to see job growth of almost 19% through 2025, with salaries rising 15% over the same period.

Lifelong learning

The best way to address the needs of workers and those in disadvantaged areas of the labour market is upskilling, through programming that reaches them on their time, where they are.

In an earlier post, we introduced the working learner. Working learners are best-defined as mid-career professionals (probably in their 30s or 40s) in a skilled profession with career-oriented goals and needs to further invest in their skills to get to their next level. As we’ve seen, there is a case to be made that every worker will need to consider how they can be a working learner. And that comes with certain challenges, unless we have a major paradigm shift. Because how can upskilling fit on a plate that’s already full with family, mortgages, and responsibilities? The window of time when one can simply pick up and relocate to a campus is narrow and fleeting.

However, there is a will to pursue change, and postsecondary institutions clearly represent the way. What if postsecondary institutions took what they learned when we were all thrown into remote versions of how we approach work and education during COVID? What if we planned more courses and programs more carefully and deliberately? It is a large group and a large opportunity for postsecondary institutions that can harness that demand through thoughtful, optimized, high-quality online options that are skills-driven.

The benefits are threefold: skills for working learners, support for the learning missions of postsecondary institutions, and meeting the demands of employers that require human resources to compete in an increasingly globalized marketplace. The future is bright: it’s lit by the glow of our screens after the kids have gone to bed.

Graeme Owens, EVP & Country Manager at ��Ӱ��Education Canada

Industry Insights

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Future of Work

A Guide for Canadian Postsecondary Education: Online Macro-credentials

��Ӱ��Education US — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 21:24:04 +0000

A Guide for Canadian Postsecondary Education: Online Macro-credentials ��Ӱ��Education US Mon, 12/06/2021 - 14:24

TORONTO - ��Ӱ��Education has released a guide that suggests a new direction for postsecondary education in Canada by defining an online macro-credential framework and describing how it helps meet the needs of both working learners and employers.

“There is an opportunity here for postsecondary schools to support a new kind of student in their careers as we continue to see evolution in ‘the future of work,’” said Graeme Owens, Executive Vice President at ��Ӱ��Education Canada. “By offering high-quality, skills-driven education online, colleges and universities could be adding a diverse, motivated, and exciting set of learners into their educational communities—all while the student has the chance to stay in theirs, fulfilling professional and personal obligations that would otherwise prevent them from entering a traditional course of study.”

The guide defines and contextualizes online macro-credentials; introduces Keypath’s framework needed to create a successful program; and outlines the way forward for postsecondary schools, learners, and employers. Keypath’s framework offers five core principles of successful online macro-credential programs, whether they are built as new offerings or developed through the transformation of an institution’s existing post-secondary programs:

Goal-focused
Accessible
Interdisciplinary
Needs-driven
Learner impact

“Right now, the labour-market demand for highly qualified individuals is outpacing the supply of those skills,” said Owens. “Working professionals have to choose between uprooting their lives, complete with family and professional obligations; or standing still in their lives, unable to advance where they are, or transition to a related—or completely different—field.”

According to a recent survey conducted by The Strategic Counsel, of the 1,341 university students interviewed coming out of the pandemic, one-in-five indicated that “if given the choice, they’d still take those courses mostly or entirely online.”

Online macro-credentials are well-positioned to meet the needs and objectives of a number of groups: postsecondary institutions, learners and communities, employers and policymakers. These programs can provide a valuable contribution to the spectrum of educational options to prepare Canadians for the “future of work.”

You can download the guide here.

About ��Ӱ��Education:
Founded in 2014, ��Ӱ��is a global, market-leading EdTech company in the online program management (OPM) market. In collaboration with its 34 university partners, ��Ӱ��delivers 140 career-relevant, technology-enabled online higher education programs to over 30,000 students with the goal of preparing them for the future of work.

The suite of services ��Ӱ��provides to its university partners includes designing, developing, launching, marketing, and managing online programs. ��Ӱ��also undertakes market research and provides student recruitment, support and placement services. The services ��Ӱ��provides are underpinned by KeypathEDGE, its integrated technology and data platform.

��Ӱ��has over 600 employees with offices and partners in Australia, the United States, Canada, the UK and Malaysia.

For more information contact:
Ashley McGuire
��Ӱ��Education
ashley.mcguire@keypathedu.com

��Ӱ��Education Releases New Guide On The Needs of Working Learners in Canada

��Ӱ��Education

Industry Insights

Article Tag

Future of Work

Meet the Working Learner

��Ӱ��Education US — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 21:22:50 +0000

Meet the Working Learner ��Ӱ��Education US Wed, 11/10/2021 - 14:22

Lately, I’ve been talking a lot about online macro-credentials. They benefit the learning missions of postsecondary institutions, and, at the same time, they address the needs of the labour market. But there is one more important group that benefits from online macro-credentials: the working learner.

The working learner is best defined as a mid-career professional (probably in their 30s or 40s) in a skilled profession who has career-oriented goals and needs to further invest in their skills to get to their next level. Not only is this investment important to the learner, but it’s also important to employers, too. A LinkedIn study has shown that opportunities for development have become the second most important factor in workplace happiness (after the nature of the work itself).

Notwithstanding the benefits of ongoing professional education, working learners face certain challenges. They have families. Mortgages. Responsibilities. They often can’t simply pick up and relocate near a campus.

To reach their goals, a traditional on-campus degree program is not practical, and in many cases, not needed. Online macro-credentials have been developed to fulfil this need: they serve fields that see significant occupational demand, projected job growth, and the potential for creating economic and social impact. Offered by degree-granting education providers – typically universities – the introduction of online macro-credential programs is guided by objectives including student-serving missions, financial returns, and community-minded impact.

Seizing New Opportunities

When it comes to working learners, we are not talking about a small group of people. We are speaking not only about those who are already committed to ongoing professional development as they move within their chosen profession but about people who will be upskilling or reskilling – a group expected to increase due to ongoing, long-term changes in the workforce and the immediate effects of the pandemic.

Post-pandemic data is hard to come by, but a 2017 report by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth predicted that by 2030, automation and changes in existing occupations could threaten the jobs of more than 10 percent of Canadian workers unless they acquire new skills. It goes on to say that about 31 percent of working-age Canadians have indicated that they would like to complete additional education and training, but faced significant barriers due to time commitments, personal obligations, and other factors — a number we think we will continue to grow coming out of the pandemic.

In other words – when it comes to working learners, there is a will to pursue change, and postsecondary institutions clearly represent the way. What if postsecondary institutions took what they learned when we were all thrown into remote versions of how we approach work and education during COVID? What if we planned more courses and programs more carefully and deliberately? Remember that — for the working learner — the bar is awfully high for digital experiences, given that so many of us shop, communicate, and work online in all-digital formats all day long. So, it’s not simply a matter of converting the on-campus experience to a digital format — it’s about re-imagining what an on-campus course looks like online for digital natives, from the ground up. I think that’s very exciting.

Reaching a New Audience

We sometimes forget this but working university graduates are already proven learners. And while their degrees may be a decade (or more) old, the accumulated experience and leadership that working learners bring to the classroom can create amazing learning experiences for their fellow students and instructors alike. We’re talking about people who have relevant and necessary life experience. They might be married, they might have kids, and they have definitely learned how the market works. They can afford and will pay for the best university. As a result of all this, they have high expectations of university faculty and staff — which drives quality of instruction and student experience in positive ways.

The desire to learn is just one of the attractive qualities working learners bring to the table. They are outstanding prospects for postsecondary schools: they are motivated, interested, and flexible, and they may have access to employer tuition reimbursement or government student financial aid programs to help pay for their education. They represent a large opportunity for postsecondary schools to innovate and adapt to new educational markets and labour market demand in a strong, knowledge-based economy simply can’t be met without them.

Reskilling and Upskilling

The working learner is already a highly qualified and skilled professional. However, to keep pace with the evolving labour market, and reach their personal and professional goals, upskilling or reskilling becomes an attractive path forward. And online macro-credentials can help them do both of those things.

Career-changers are looking to reskill and pursue a new career path such as a hospital research assistant with a college diploma transitioning to become a registered nurse
Career-accelerators are looking to upskill and progress in their current occupation or field such an engineer developing leadership and management competencies to advance to the executive suite

Even professionals who are just starting out could benefit from online macro-credential programming. For example, someone who plans to work in a field that requires an entry-to-practice program, such as a young graduate with a bachelor of arts pursuing a career path in social work.

We believe in working learners, and the benefits that come from supporting them for Canada’s changing, growing economy. That’s why we are working with our partners to launch online macro-credentials that are positioned to make a difference in people’s lives, in our workplaces, and in our postsecondary communities. It’s a topic we’ll be speaking about more often in the weeks.

Get in touch with us if you're interested in learning more.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

Graeme Owens, EVP & Country Manager at ��Ӱ��Education Canada

Industry Insights

Article Tag

Future of Work

Alberta is on to something: the 2030 plan

��Ӱ��Education US — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 20:16:23 +0000

Alberta is on to something: the 2030 plan ��Ӱ��Education US Thu, 09/02/2021 - 14:16

Even before the global pandemic, academic institutions, learners and professionals across Canada and around the world were reconsidering the state of education. COVID accelerated a rapidly changing work environment, and decisions are now being made that will affect the workers of today and the next generation. Online and distance learning have become a popular option prioritized by the government and academic institutions to upskill and reskill working Canadians. But simply shifting online will not guarantee success.

University of Ottawa and ��Ӱ��Education launch Canada’s first-ever Executive Master of Health Administration program at the Telfer School of Management

��Ӱ��Education US — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 20:18:22 +0000

University of Ottawa and ��Ӱ��Education launch Canada’s first-ever Executive Master of Health Administration program at the Telfer School of Management ��Ӱ��Education US Tue, 08/31/2021 - 14:18

University of Ottawa and ��Ӱ��Education launch Canada’s first-ever Executive Master of Health Administration program at the Telfer School of Management

New online master’s degree builds on uOttawa’s and ��Ӱ��Education’s shared commitment to create more accessible learning opportunities for students in health care industries and beyond

OTTAWA (August 31, 2021) – The Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa and ��Ӱ��Education Canada are announcing the launch of the country’s first Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) program. The master’s degree will be offered as a hybrid of online learning with a one-week residency in Ottawa, creating more accessible learning in high-demand health care job sectors.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2020, there were approximately 9,000 job openings for health care leaders in an industry that is projected to grow by 20 per cent by 2028. In partnership with Keypath, Telfer’s online EMHA program is designed to provide Canadian and international health care administrators, industry leaders and practitioners with the skills and knowledge needed to advance the quality of Canada’s growing health care system.

“As the health care system continues to grow, Canadians need quality education to provide leaders with the tools and knowledge to address increasingly complex issues affecting the sector,” said Stéphane Brutus, Dean of the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. “The Telfer EMHA underscores our dedication to supporting the health and well-being of Canadian communities, providing future leaders with skills, insights and innovative thinking that will help maintain our country’s leadership in health care for years to come.”

Working with ��Ӱ��to develop Canada’s first EMHA builds on a key pillar of the University of Ottawa’s Transformation 2030 strategy. Leveraging online learning for higher education credentials, the strategy looks to create optimized program offerings and training opportunities that are more accessible and responsive to the needs of tomorrow’s generation of students.

“Delivering an EMHA program online increases accessibility, allowing these skills in business, management and strategic leadership to reach more people across the country,” said Graeme Owens, Executive Vice President at ��Ӱ��Education Canada. “Instead of relocating and uprooting their lives for an in-person experience, students will be able to learn and work – and ultimately improve the state of Canada’s health care – from their own communities.”

Canadian universities are partnering with EdTech companies like ��Ӱ��to develop more strategic and engaging online programming that increases enrolment and retention. Starting with course curriculum created by academic institutions, ��Ӱ��designs and delivers programming that is tailored for online learning environments, providing program management including marketing, recruitment, and student support.

The online EMHA degree marks the second collaboration between ��Ӱ��and the University of Ottawa, following the introduction of its Master of Engineering Management (MEM) degree in 2020. In its first year, the MEM program surpassed enrollment expectations, engaging engineering professionals across the country.

“Through our partnership with ��Ӱ��Education, the University of Ottawa is not only investing in the bright futures of its students but also furthering its commitment to become a more digital and connected university,” said Jill Scott, Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs at the University of Ottawa. “As demands for education delivery and institutional learning continue to evolve, we are embracing new pedagogies and learning platforms that will help us reach more learners and continue our long-standing relevance and excellence in the decade to come.”

“Over the next decade our health care system in Ontario and across Canada will undergo significant change post pandemic, to ensure we continue to advance the access to and quality of care provided to patients and families,” said Cameron Love, President and CEO, the Ottawa Hospital. “As CEO of The Ottawa Hospital and a graduate of the MHA program, I understand the value of educating health care leaders for the future. This program takes Telfer’s 45+ years of leadership training and education experience and creates a nationally recognized program that will ensure we can train health care executives for our region, province, and country. The timing could not be better, and I look forward to working alongside Telfer to support our future health care leaders”.

Registration for the Telfer School of Management’s Executive Master of Health Administration program at the University of Ottawa began on August 26 for classes beginning in January 2022, pending final approvals. For additional information and program details, please visit online.uottawa.ca.

-30-

About ��Ӱ��Education:
Founded in 2014, ��Ӱ��is a global, market-leading EdTech company in the online program management (OPM) market. In collaboration with its 32 university partners, ��Ӱ��delivers 140 career-relevant, technology-enabled online higher education programs to over 30,000 students with the goal of preparing them for the future of work.

��Ӱ��has approximately 600 employees with offices and partners in Australia, the United States, Canada, the UK and is expanding into Malaysia.

About Telfer School of Management:
The Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa is located in the heart of Ottawa and is the proud academic home of some 4,300 students, 200 faculty members, and over 30,000 alumni.

At Telfer, everything we do from teaching to research, to policy advice is firmly aligned with helping Canada reach its potential. We believe that better business practice means a better Canada and that a better Canada means a better world.

About The University of Ottawa—A crossroads of cultures and ideas
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe.

For more information contact:
Ashley McGuire
��Ӱ��Education
ashley.mcguire@keypathedu.com

Paul Logothetis
University of Ottawa
plogothe@uottawa.ca

��Ӱ��Education

Partnerships

Article Tag

Future of Work

Future of Work

Melbourne Business School partners with ����Ӱ��Education

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����Ӱ��Education expands operations into Southeast Asia

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A Guide for Canadian Postsecondary Education: Online Macro-credentials

����Ӱ��Education Releases New Guide On The Needs of Working Learners in Canada

Meet the Working Learner

Alberta is on to something: the 2030 plan

University of Ottawa and ����Ӱ��Education launch Canada’s first-ever Executive Master of Health Administration program at the Telfer School of Management

Melbourne Business School partners with ��Ӱ��Education

��Ӱ��Education expands operations into Southeast Asia

��Ӱ��Education expands operations into Southeast Asia

��Ӱ��Education Releases New Guide On The Needs of Working Learners in Canada

University of Ottawa and ��Ӱ��Education launch Canada’s first-ever Executive Master of Health Administration program at the Telfer School of Management