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DIY-Education? Millennial Say No to Traditional Ways of Learning Learners are taking control of their education like never before

By Aastha Singal

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Gone are the days when scoring well and getting into a well-known institution would get an individual a worthwhile job. With automation ready to take over menial jobs, the need for rethinking education has surfaced. A college degree alone isn't enough to land the job of your dreams. Learners need to take control of their education and they are waking up to this reality, like never before.

Gen Y is undergoing a major mindset change. Instead of just relying on traditional institutions, millennial learners are adopting the Do-it-yourself (DIY) mindset, adding to their formal education with a mix of self-teaching, short courses and online learning to keep pace with the talent economy. They are looking beyond the customary notions of education.

A global survey of learning habits by publisher Pearson suggests that DIY mindset is reshaping education. People are layering on to their traditional education by mixing and matching what works and what they can afford to get trained up for the new economy. Globally, 81 per cent of people says that learning will become more self-service as people get older.

Upskilling is the Way Forward

More than 11,000 people, ranging between age from 16 to 70, participated in the poll. While the survey focuses on the United States of America and the United Kingdom, it was found that a majority of Indians self-taught using internet resources for upskilling. Evidently, in the next decade, digital and virtual learning will be the new normal.

Globally, 76 per cent of people believes that college students will be taking online courses within 10 years whereas 67 per cent believe more primary and secondary students will too. People need to keep learning throughout their career to stay up-to-date in their careers. 87 per cent of Americans embraces lifelong learning, believing that learning doesn't stop at school.

"More than anywhere else in the world, people in China, Brazil, India and Hispano American believe education is driving the global economy. Over two-thirds of learners in these countries have been looking to re-skill in the past two years, compared to only 31 per cent of Americans and 24 per cent of British learners," the report said.

The following infographic based on the 2019 Pearson Global Learner Survey with Harris Insights & Analytics answers why people are DIY'ing their education all over the world:

Aastha Singal

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Features Writer

A business journalist looking to find happiness in the world of startups, investments, MSMEs and more. Officially started her career as a news reporter for News World India, Aastha had short stints with NDTV and NewsX. A true optimist seeking to make a difference, she is a comic junkie who'd rather watch a typical Bollywood masala than a Hollywood blockbuster. 

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