THE RISE OF THE FRONTLINE LEARNER: HOW CAN WE SUPPORT EDUCATION & SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE?
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THE RISE OF THE
FRONTLINE LEARNER:
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT
EDUCATION & SKILLS IN
THE WORKPLACE?
1
Skills Survey Authors Megan O’Connor, Head of Partnerships, Chegg Skills Jack McDermott, Product Marketing Manager, Chegg Skills About Chegg Millions of people all around the world Learn with Chegg. Our mission is to improve learning and learning outcomes by putting students first. We support life-long learners starting with their academic journey and extending into their careers. The Chegg platform provides products and services to support learners to help them better understand their academic course materials, and also provides personal and professional development skills training to help them achieve their learning goals. Chegg is a publicly held company based in Santa Clara, California and trades on the NYSE under the symbol CHGG. For more information, visit www.chegg.com.
Introduction
Recent surveys show that, even However, that survey also
for “traditional” students on found that only 63% of
full-time degree courses, the students in developed
career value of their education economies think their
is central. education is preparing them
well for the job market2 – and
For example, 2021’s Global in over half of the 21 countries
Student Survey from surveyed, more than a third of
Chegg.org found that for students failed to agree that
63% of students across the their education is good value
21 countries surveyed around for money.3
the world, the main motive
for higher education is career-
related – either to broaden job
prospects, increase earning
potential, network, optimize
point of entry into the job
marketplace, or get a degree
required for a specific career.1
3
Skills Survey
The question of ‘how is my This report looks specifically
education going to help my at the growing cohort of
career?’ is clearly uppermost in working adults on low or
the minds of college students medium incomes who may
– and they are not alone. be considering boosting their
There are also large numbers earning potential through
of people already in the additional education.4 Below,
workforce who want to boost we look at the evidence of
their earning potential and what is important to these
advance in their career – but potential learners, what they
for whom college, whether for are hoping to achieve through
cost or time reasons, is not an education, what pressures
option. they face, and what types of
educational program could
help meet their needs.
Price and affordability
are top concerns
Working adults are highly cost-sensitive when it comes to
additional education. In fact, financial considerations tend to
predominate for this cohort – understandably so when one
considers the pressures of, for example, providing for a family on
a low or medium income. Our findings reflected this in a number
of ways.
For example, when we asked
our respondents about their
top three priorities for an
education program (out of
eight possible options),
42%
“affordable tuition” (42%)
was the most popular response
for top priority by some margin of US working
– beating both adults picked
“career/salary outcomes”
(28%) and as the most
“flexible/self-paced courses”
(28%). important attribute
of an education
program
5
Skills Survey
Similarly, in our qualitative The most striking finding,
interviews, a number of however, was that in several
working adults expressed the head-to-head comparisons of
view that further education programs, full funding from
was practically unaffordable for an employer trumped all other
them. One commented: “Most decision factors. Working
education is too expensive, I adults consistently chose the
could probably make time for fully-funded program where
it, but then I’d be taking time any contrast existed, regardless
away when I’m earning money of the other details (such as
on the side, so it’s still too the qualification offered or the
expensive.” institution offering it).
Nonetheless, when the
financial consideration
of tuition costs could be
eliminated, working adults
showed a considerable
“
Being fully funded
appetite for more education.
In fact, 61% said they would is huge, that’s a
pursue a “professional separator for me
certificate” program within the
next year if it was fully funded
by their employer.
Working adults need
flexibility
Working adults value online, self-paced courses that allow them
to fulfil other important commitments in their life – whether
work, family or social. The most striking finding in this regard
was what respondents saw as the challenges to completing an
additional course of education.
When funding was A considerable number of
removed from the equation, interviews also uncovered
respondents’ top two perceived concerns about the time
challenges to completion were needed to undertake
education. One respondent
“balancing my family/personal said that the main obstacle
responsibilities” and “amount was “just not having enough
of time required” time to complete education
[...] so busy just trying to pay
(61% and 53% respectively).
the bills.” Another said the
problem was “not enough
time, I work full-time and may
not have enough hours in the
day.” Even for online courses,
scheduling was a concern. One
61% interviewee said, “I could do
of US online college, but it’s pre-set
working and you need to be on that
adults specific schedule or you can’t
said advance.”
“balancing my family/personal
responsibilities” would be the
biggest barrier to completing
their education program
7
Skills Survey Quantitative findings also reflected these concerns. For instance, when asked how much time they expected to spend studying, more than half (56%) of working adults said they expected to spend 15 hours or less per week. And when respondents were asked what their top three priorities were for an education program (out of eight possible options), “flexible/self-paced courses” was ranked joint-second alongside “career and salary” as the most important feature (28%), with only “affordable tuition” placed higher. “ [I] looked at local college/universities, but I’m working 40 hours per week, so I can’t make a fully-set schedule all the time.
Career advancement
rather than career change
In contrast to those who are seeking a career change via an
intensive course, working adults more often see education as a
path to a better position and salary within the organization
and/or industry they already work in.
This orientation was reflected One interviewee said, “I
in our study both qualitatively would pursue additional
and quantitatively. In our roles internally for sure, if
interviews with working adults, those roles paid more for the
a number of interviewees education I received.” Similarly,
said they were open to when we asked our online
staying within their present survey respondents about
organization after gaining their motivation for getting
additional qualifications – more education, 44% said that
provided there was a salary advancement in their current
increase. field was the primary goal,
while only 28% said it was
“career change.”
9
Skills Survey
What type of
qualification?
While working adults do have a professional certificate which
preferences about types of gave them college credit from
qualification, these concerns an accredited program would
are fundamentally secondary to be valuable for their career
those mentioned above – cost, advancement.
flexibility, and advancement.
Perhaps the most notable
finding was that courses If anything, respondents
resulting in a college degree showed a slight preference
held little additional appeal in practice for professional
for this cohort, even though certificates over degrees,
the majority did not have a likely due to the shorter term
Bachelor’s. Working adults of study (usually six months
saw degrees and certificates or less). 61% said they would
as having more or less pursue a “professional
equal value for their career certificate” program within the
advancement (50% vs 48% next year if fully funded by their
valuable respectively). employer, whereas only 49%
said they would do so in the
case of a fully funded college
Earning a college degree degree.
was the lowest priority for
respondents (out of eight of US working adults
possible options) when asked would pursue a
what their top three priorities 61%
were for an education program
program within the
– with just 12% of respondents next year if it was
saying it was their top priority. fully funded by their
employer
And less than half (45%) of
respondents said that earningConclusions
As our study shows, working adults have distinctive needs and
preferences that are fundamentally different from those of
full-time college students and learners on intensive short-term
courses.
First, working adults see Third, flexibility of study
education as a route for career schedule is a significant factor
advancement rather than as a in whether they can undertake
path to a different occupation the commitment of further
altogether. They take a study. They are therefore most
practical view of qualifications interested in online, self-paced
– seeking out those that will courses.
provide advantage for the
least financial risk – and are
comparatively uninterested in
the ‘prestige’ value of a college
degree.
Second, employer funding is a
key factor in whether working
adults will embark on more
education. This is unsurprising
when one considers the
financial pressures they are
typically under. Yet, if financial
barriers can be overcome, they
show a considerable appetite
for more education.
11Skills Survey Education providers and employers therefore need to think carefully about how they can structure courses around working adults. If equality of opportunity is to remain an aspiration, we need to offer viable, practical study options to people who need to continue working – not just those who can take time off. Employer upskilling programs should therefore aim to remove funding challenges so that low- or medium-income workers can commit to a course of study. They should also support considerable flexibility in how, where and when courses can be taken. If these priorities are followed, in our view, we could see a real transformation in frontline learning – and a fundamental shift in the fairness of our education system.
References
1. Chegg Global Student Survey, p.27. Retrieved from: https://www.chegg.org/global-student-
survey-2021
2. Ibid, p.30.
3. Ibid, p.22.
4. Chegg Skills Persona Research, November 21. consisting of an online survey of 778 working
adults ages 18-50 via SurveyMonkey compensated for participation and qualitative
interviews of 12 working adults. 90% of online survey respondents reported earning less
than $75,000 annually, and 35% had earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher. 66% were full-
time workers and 33% were part-time.
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