Survey reveals employability driving future learning - but only 1 in 3 can differentiate their skills

A new survey by leading edtech company, Edalex, reveals that while the majority of learners would choose skills-based or alternative credentials for future learning, only a third of college graduates felt well prepared in differentiating their skills. This reinforces the imperative for personalised evidence of skills, with close to half of the respondents valuing such evidence - higher than the percentage who have actually received digital badges.

In July 2021, Edalex commissioned a market research survey of over 1,000 college graduates regarding their employability outcomes, their future plans for education and their knowledge and understanding of the modern credential marketplace - the inaugural Lens on Learners: Edalex 2021 Employability Outcomes Survey.

“At Edalex, our passion is to surface learning outcomes, digital assets, and the power of individual achievement,” said Dan McFadyen, Managing Director of Edalex. “We commissioned this market research in July 2021 to explore a range of critical topics on education, employment, skills and, most critically, the learner’s voice.”

“A key focus of our award-winning Credentialate platform is to help give learners a voice for their unique skills and competencies through evidence,” McFadyen continues, “and our findings reveal progress in key areas but also the imperative for redoubled efforts in others.”

Some of the key findings in the report include:

• The majority of respondents across all age groups represented in the survey plan to engage in some form of further education, with 60% of respondents under 30, and 53.5% over 30 citing career progression as a key driver
• The majority (57%) would choose skills or alternative credentials over the next level of formal education, as (43%) report that traditional degrees are not providing the skills needed for their desired work
• Almost 68% of learners will choose their next level of education based on what is accepted or required by employers. However, understanding how to find employment remains low with only 33% feeling well prepared
• Learners are looking for better ways to understand and communicate their achievements, with 41% of respondents overall saying they would find personalised evidence of value when looking for work
• 59% of respondents couldn’t find full employment or took whatever work they could find after graduating from their most recent formal education

Download the Edalex 2021 Employability Outcomes Survey Whitepaper