More than three quarters (76%) of employers want more short and flexible programmes from business schools to meet their requirements for lifelong learning, reveals a new study, The Future of Lifelong and Executive Educationpublished jointly by CarringtonCrispand LinkedIn.

The study carried out amongst 530 global employers and over 2,500 individual employees paints a picture of major changes for business schools from changing employer and employee needs.

It found that just over three-quarters of employers (76%) think that the location of a learning provider will become less important as online provision becomes more sophisticated. Instead, brand will come to the fore with 81% of employers seek long-term relationships with learning providers and 62% of individuals stating that future learning should be with a provider with an international brand reputation.

“The growth in digital learning means learners are no longer limited to local, regional or domestic providers – they can choose to study globally. It means that business schools are competing in a much bigger market, and to attract students the quality of a school’s brand assumes far greater importance.” comments Andrew Crisp, CarringtonCrisp, author of the study.

The study also shows business schools will have to think about new non-linear types of programmes:

·       l  86% of employers are interested in short programs leading to a certificate with the option of credit for further study leading to a degree.

·       l  79% would consider flexible approaches to taking a degree that does not involve full-time study.

·       l  78% are open to short bursts of learning, delivered flexibly, and providing microcredentials.

While 66% of employers expect their organisation to return to working largely in the same way as before the pandemic, the vast majority (79%) anticipate that online learning will become the standard approach to developing people. 

“With only 35% of employers currently using business schools, there is a big opportunity for schools to grow their share of the global market. However, to do so business schools need to adapt quickly. They need to co-create, working with employers to build learning, to collaborate acrossdepartments, faculties and institutions, and find ways to deliver new learning and not wait for the bureaucracy to catchup,” concludes Andrew Crisp.

The report can be downloaded free of charge at: https://bit.ly/3uF3pIu