The value of courses and credentials
While we have long believed in the value of credentials for issuers, we wanted to get learners’ perspectives. Why are they taking courses that offer credentials? Are credentials helping them meet their career goals?
Learners are taking courses to improve their skills
As a reminder, the learners we surveyed have taken at least one course to help them further their careers. The majority of learners (84%) reported taking a course to achieve a specific outcome such as earning more money, getting certified, getting a promotion, getting a new job, and/or fulfilling degree requirements.
However, the majority are also taking courses to continually learn new skills. In fact, 92% of those surveyed plan to take an additional course that offers a credential in the next two years.
This poses a significant opportunity for issuers because they can generate ongoing revenue from these learners — especially if they offer an experience these learners want. (Spoiler alert: Many credential issuers don’t, as you’ll discover in upcoming sections of the report.)
92%
of surveyed learners plan to take an additional course that offers a credential in the next 2 years.
Digital credentials are valuable for career advancement
While some learners pursue credentials for the innate joy of learning new skills, the vast majority consider credentials very valuable for their careers. 96% of those who received digital credentials consider them to be valuable for their careers, and 78% believe they increase their chances of getting a job offer.
Penn State University student Michael DeWolfe said this about earning digital badges from McGraw Hill’s online training and assessment platform, SIMnet, “I have all my SIMnet badges on LinkedIn and my resume. So, in almost every interview, someone says, ‘Oh, I see these credentials on your resume. Can you talk a little bit more about that?’ I’m not just saying that I have Excel skills; I’m proving them through the badges.”
“I have all my SIMnet badges on LinkedIn and my resume. So, in almost every interview, someone says, ‘Oh, I see these credentials on your resume. Can you talk a little bit more about that?’ I’m not just saying that I have Excel skills; I’m proving them through the badges.”
Michael DeWolfe
Student at Penn State University
What learners are looking for in courses
Discover how learners find courses and decide which to enroll in.
