Over the past decade adult education has been on the rise. There are many reasons for this increase in enrollment for college or professional development classes.
Some of the reasons are need related and others are driven by desire. The vast opportunities offered by colleges today allow many adults to pursue a college degree which was not possible earlier in life due to limited options.
Here are a few top reasons why the demand for adult education is on the rise:
*Competitive Job Market
The job market is changing and in an increasingly competitive employment environment, the more education, the better chance of landing that job. It used to be a high school education was enough to get a decent job, and then an Associates degree. As jobs become more competitive, education is often the path to that coveted job.
Today's applicants who don't have higher education on their resumes lose their competitive edge almost immediately. A Bachelor degree is almost a given for many good paying jobs and in some cases, people with the Masters degree have the upper hand in landing the job.
This isn't to say every person needs a Masters degree to get a job, but higher education does provide more opportunities than having no college. Many adults who entered the workforce a few decades ago without a college degree are now finding they need one in order to be competitive and be considered for jobs and/or promotional opportunities.
*Retraining
Adults who entered the workforce when they were younger didn't need to know the technology that has become standard today because it wasn't existent.
Many jobs which used to require manual labor are now automated and those jobs are given to machines to perform. Other manual labor is outsourced to other countries. As a result many adults are finding they need to get retraining in order to compete with the kinds of jobs that are available or to keep up with the pace of change.
Job descriptions have changed and as opportunities close, new jobs are created with technology. Education is needed to learn these skills and be trained to perform the jobs being created. As technology continues to grow at lightening speed, so will the need for continuing education.
*Flexibility and Accessibility.
People who went straight to work after high school may have wanted to go to college, but due to financial need went to work instead.
Colleges today offer a lot of flexibility and students can work and go to school at the same time. Many degree programs are developed with continuing education in mind for adults who want to attend classes but have other responsibilities.
Adults can choose from distance learning, evening and weekend classes to accommodate an adult's busy schedule.
*Passion
Some adults are returning to school because they want to learn something new. The aforementioned flexibility and accessibility enables adults to pick and choose classes, even if they aren't considering nor need a degree.
Many colleges offer non-credit continuing education classes at affordable prices and adults take advantage of this opportunity to learn a passion or cultivate a skill.
The demand for adult education is likely to continue to rise due to the need and/or desire for people who want to live their lives and have ongoing professional and personal growth. The Internet further expands the possibilities and as a result adults will continue to pursue education.