When you’re next on a train or a bus, lift your head up from your mobile phone and take a look. You’ll find that most people have their heads bowed.
Most of them will be staring at their mobile phones. Eyes, ears and minds locked into a virtual reality.
We now live a large proportion of our lives on the internet; a computer-generated world of online personas and global communities. We can find out what we want, when we want and how we want, and create online identities based on how we want to be seen.
All information is available to us. Immediately. It’s just a few clicks away. This has wonderful implications for self-learning and personal growth.
On the flip-side, this also means that your peers have the same capacity to get ahead. Let’s face it, we live in a competitive society. As participants in the game of competition, we should be using IT to our advantage.
How productive are you outside of work?
Narrowing the Knowledge-Gap: The demand for a more productive workforce in Hong Kong
The boss of a company is looking to fill a managerial position.
Office Worker A has a track-record of submitting unique proposals to management that have led to cutting company costs. Like reducing the amount of coloured printing or leasing unused space to another business. Office Worker B works hard, sticks with the same routine, and does what’s expected; a good employee.
The boss is looking for someone that thinks differently, thinks on their feet and that can work independently.
Who do you think’s going to get hired? Office Worker A or B?
Employers are looking for critical thinkers; people that find solutions to problems who think outside the box. They’re looking for people that can multi-task and be creative.
There’s been a shift in labour requirements towards a higher-skilled, better-educated workforce. According to a 2015 HK government report, it is expected that the proportion of ‘managers and administrators’ in Hong Kong will increase whilst the proportion of lower ‘clerical’ jobs will decrease.
We can all see that the pace of living in Hong Kong is fast. The entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive and kicking. More needs to be done in a shorter space of time if you’re going to remain competitive.
Many people are taking advantage of online learning to gain the skills they need in a Hong Kong that’s getting smarter. Quickly.
Employers themselves recognise that continuous education has a positive impact for their companies and the employees:
Source: Lifelong Education and Labour Market Needs, An EvoLLLution Research Report, 2012
Indeed, many Hong Konger’s recognise this.
According to a 2015 HK government report, the percentage of people holding a Bachelor’s degree is expected to rise from 20.3% in 2012 to 24.9% in 2022. The amount of people holding a postgraduate degree is expected to be a whopping 317,000 people by 2022, that’s a rise from 5.5% of the population in 2012 to 8.6% in 2022.
How productive you are outside of work is becoming increasingly important.
Online Learning – Increasing Popularity
While enrollments in higher education institutions decreased overall, enrollments in online programmes continued to increase. A 2015 Survey of Online Learning conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group highlights a thirteenth consecutive year of growth in the number of students taking a course at a distance.
“We have seen strong growth in online professional degree programs as learners are increasingly focused on employability and career advancement” Todd Hitchcock, senior vice president, Online Learning Services, Pearson.
A 2014 report by Docebo showed the growth rate of the global online learning market to be 7.6%, with Asia recording the highest regional growth rate at 17.3%.
The thirst for continuing education in Hong Kong itself is growing as is the demand for a more skillful and up-to-date workforce. Online learning in Hong Kong is only set to increase in popularity.
Online Learning – Shorter Durations
Research has shown that online learning has been an excellent way to achieve results in a short timeframe. More targeted assignment-based assessments and online learning systems that effectively tracks a student’s productivity and advancement have made gaining a degree more streamlined.
This has been a revelation.
A society looking for more productive people, needs more efficient ways to bring people up-to-speed, with relevant knowledge and skills.
Online learning, with its shorter durations and targeted learning, is increasingly being used as an efficient and cost-effective tool for personal growth and self-development.
Visit our distance learning page to download a study guide and brochure to get an idea of what you’ll receive with an online course.