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Jagpreet
20 June, 2024
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According to a KPMGreport, online certifications and reskilling courses are the largest categories in the online education market of India standing at USD 93 million. About 38% of the online education market in India is ofonline short certificate courseslargely driven by IT professionals in India. These short certificate courses are designed to meet individual industry requirements. They are niche-oriented and usually target one skill at a time.
To be highly specific, many fresh graduates and working professionals enrol in online short courses offered by various ed-tech platforms and universities. Instead of running to big cities for short courses, individuals prefer these skill-based short online courses for their career enhancement.
While there are many reasons behind the popularity of online short courses, the most significant one is the learning pattern. The lockdown and work-from-home option gave a major push. Most candidates pursue courses that are in demand at their workplace or the industry in general. This helps them stay relevant and updated in their sector, resulting in job security. So much so that students living in non-metro cities also enrol in these short-term online programmes. The Managing Director – India of Coursera, Raghav Gupta shared with the Times of India that the certificate courses are designed even for students with no industry experience. Most of them can be completed in 6 to 8 months. Post-pandemic, Coursera witnessed a huge surge in the enrollment of its short online courses, such as Google Project Management, Google UX Design, and Google Data Analytics. Professionals have felt the need to excel in careers in tier 1 and tier 2 cities which resulted in a sharp rise in online short courses. This highlights that from ongoing students to working professionals, an increasing number of candidates are going for short online courses provided by various ed-tech platforms.
Moreover, short online courses have redefined the accessibility of education. Since online learning has no geographical boundaries, you can pursue short-term online courses from the top universities worldwide such as Harvard or Stanford. These online short courses provide customised learning experiences tailored to your needs. It varies from micro-credentials to specialised certifications whichever aligns best with your goals. That is why, most working professionals continuously enrol in short online courses to stay updated with the latest trends. Even students who are pursuing their undergraduate studies go for short online courses to diversify their skills and enhance their resumes.
You cannot deny that business dynamics have changed to great heights in the 21st century. Therefore, the learning process never really ends with a degree. You need to learn and adopt new career growth and enhancement practices continuously. Short online courses have filled this void by providing targeted learning opportunities. It fulfils the purpose of continuous growth and plays a vital role in bridging the skill gap. Besides this, there are various factors which have led to the popularity of online short courses.
When talking about online short courses, how could you forget aboutMOOCs? Massive Open Online Courses or what you know as MOOC are free web-based distance certificate courses. In fact, India stands as the second-largest in terms of MOOC learners after the US. It has efficiently bridged the industry skill gap by providing free online courses. The government platform SWAYAM, is a major provider of MOOC courses in India. The then Ministry of Human Resource Development launched the SWAYAM portal in 2017 to provide a single platform for career enhancement opportunities. Today, MOOC courses have become an important part of the higher education system in India.
If you are unsure whether these online short courses are the right choice, we have gathered a few reasons not to miss this opportunity.
Become Industry Ready:
For all fresh graduates or current students, gaining industry-relevant skills is the key to bagging that lucrative package in an MNC. Having skill-based certificates in your resume shows your determination and reflects highly on your potential. Recruiters prefer candidates with diverse skills capable of handling multiple responsibilities.
Benefit From Global Classrooms:
The digital environment has made global classrooms accessible. Through platforms like Coursera and upGrad, you can enrol in short online courses offered by various international universities. Therefore, bringing global classrooms to your house.
Save Up the Cost:
Online courses are significantly less costly as they do not incur on-site classroom expenses. Other expenses make learning a costly affair. Also, all the study material is available online, which is accessible free of cost.
Makes Your Career Switch Smooth:
If you plan to transition into a new career path, take short online courses to grasp the foundational concepts. They will ease your transition into a completely different industry and highlight your efforts and determination to excel.
From government portals to private ed-tech platforms, here is a list of some best platforms for short-term online courses.
| Udemy | SWAYAM |
| Coursera | Masterclass |
| LinkedIn Learning | upGrad |
| edX | Harvard Business School Online |
| Udacity | Stanford Online |
| Future Learn |
Did you ever imagine that learning would become free? No, not the YouTube video or podcast learning, here, you can get certified for the skills you will. The cherry on the cake, these certificates are also credible in employers’ eyes. While there is a long list of free online certificate courses, here are some of the popular ones:
| Course Name | Platforms Offering the Free Courses |
| Certification in Data Analytics | SWAYAM / Coursera / Udemy / Simplilearn |
| Certificate in Digital Marketing | Google Digital Garage / Digital Scholar / LinkedIn Learning / SWAYAM / Edurekha / Testbook |
| Certificate in Cyber Security | Simplilearn / Udemy / Sans Institute / LinkedIn Learning |
| Certificate in MS Excel | upGrad / Intellipaat / LinkedIn Learning / Coursera / Simplilearn |
| Certificate in AI and ML | LinkedIn Learning / Udemy / Coursera / Simplilearn / SWAYAM / Analytics Vidya/ Intellipaat |
| Certificate in Project Management | Project Management Institute / SWAYAM / Coursera / LinkedIn Learning / Udemy |
| Certificate in Supply Chain Management | Coursera / LinkedIn Learning / TCS ion / SWAYAM / Great Learning |
| Certificate in Financial Accounting | Udemy / Great Learning / SWAYAM / LinkedIn Learning |
The growing popularity of online short courses is definitely reshaping the learning approach. Its niche-oriented, flexible, and to-the-point structure is fit for a wide range of candidates. From undergraduate students to working professionals, there are short online courses for everyone. They will cover the basics and lead you towards advanced topics. So, if you intend to upskill, reskill, or explore different fields, it’s never too late to embark on the online short course journey.
