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The coronavirus-related lockdown in the UK, which began on March 23rd 2020, was unprecedented. Life changed in an instant. For workers, lockdown meant switching to work from home if possible or furlough; for businesses, adapting to home-working for everyone, finding a way to fill the excess time available became crucially important.
In the midst of a turn of events that few could have predicted, there have been obvious signs of a trend developing as a direct result of lockdown: the online courses industry is booming. Here’s a look at why this may be the case.
The benefits for businesses
The fact that online courses are booming is due in no small part to the benefits the industry can offer to businesses.
While companies have initiated work-from-home protocols, business has nevertheless continued as it was – which means the need to care for staff, help them to upskill, and continue their professional development remains. Withstanding training and guidance in the office no longer available, businesses have been turning to online courses in order to allow their staff to continue to develop their skills.
For businesses, the investment is a savvy one. Staff continue their development; feel supported by their company; and have a beneficial course to turn their attention to – and as a result, staff satisfaction levels are maintained. What’s more, when lockdown does come to an end, businesses that have encouraged their staff to enroll in online courses will have a newly-upskilled workforce to welcome back; a further positive net result for the company.
The benefits for individuals
Above, we noted that finding different ways to fill time became critically important for individuals during lockdown. With all the usual pursuits of restaurants, cinemas, and bars closed, filling the hours after work – or even where work used to be, if furloughed – became a challenge. Unsurprisingly, many have chosen to seize the opportunity of the extra time and follow the path of self-improvement through education.
This quest for education is easily met by the world of online courses, as you can discover for yourself at Online Classes – and potentially even pick up an offer or two to ensure the best possible deal. With courses ranging from professional development (ideal for those exploring the possibility of a job change post-lockdown) to life skills such as cookery (a perfect choice for anyone who is tired of the lockdown-essential banana bread and is craving something new), the options are endless, and can ensure that time is filled productively while waiting lockdown out.
The benefits for freelancers
Freelancers tend to be somewhat accustomed to a haphazard working manner and are thus well-placed to roll with the changes lockdown has brought. Unfortunately, many freelancers have seen workloads decrease, especially in industries such as marketing and theatre, so many freelancers have also found themselves considering what online courses might have to offer them.
Thankfully, freelancers have found that lockdown provides the opportunity to expand their skillsets in a way that simply wouldn’t be possible while juggling clients and workloads in the non-lockdown world. Freelancers can, for example, seize on the opportunity to enhance their provision to clients by learning to code or sharpening their copywriting skills; or courses in financial management or improving their website can help shore up their business for the future.
In conclusion
Lockdown is a unique period in our lives, but it’s clear that online classes are particularly well-suited to everyone who is living through it.
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