Americans Honing Tech Skills to Compete in Today's Workforce

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are increasingly turning to technology-focused online courses to develop tech skills and find success in the current job market, according to findings from the first-ever Udemy Skills Index. The Skills Index, an analysis of trends in American skills development based on data from Udemy's top 100 paid online courses, found that technology courses have the highest enrollment numbers of any subject among Udemy students in the United States. Udemy, the leading global marketplace for learning and teaching online, announces these findings as 9.8 million Americans face unemployment and an additional 7.5 million are involuntarily employed part- rather than full-time, according to jobs data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April and May.

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In a recent survey of more than 7,000 Udemy students, 73 percent reported a desire for skills improvement as the main motivation for signing up for classes. A majority (52 percent) of American Udemy students sign up for technology courses, followed by business and design courses. Udemy's most avid technology students are new to the workforce:  young people aged 25-34, followed by those aged between 35 and 44. More than 30 percent of Udemy students consume their courses via iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices.

Within Udemy's technology category, the most popular topics are:

• Programming - 51 percent
• IT Administration - 15 percent
• Software - 13 percent
• Mobile Development - 12 percent
• Other - 9 percent

"These findings indicate that an ever-increasing number of Americans are recognizing that technology skills are a requirement to keep pace in today's demanding job market," said Dennis Yang, CEO of Udemy. "The gap between what many Americans need to know about tech and what they do know about tech will only continue to widen with time. It's inspiring to see so many taking control of their futures and adopting the skills they need."

The most recent biennial update from the BLS noted in 2012 that employment in all computer occupations is expected to increase by 22 percent by 2020.

Udemy is home to more than three million students representing more than 190 countries. 1,000 new Udemy courses are created each month in ten languages, with 17,000 courses available in total. Thousands of Udemy students have embodied the "Never Stop Learning" mentality, harnessing their skills to enhance their lives and livelihoods. The company recently announced the completion of a $32 million Series C financing round, which is being harnessed to broaden and deepen the content library, expand presence internationally and enhance product offerings.

About Udemy
Udemy is the leading marketplace for online learning, democratizing education by making top-quality content from the world's experts available to anyone, anywhere. Offering more than 16,000 courses on a wide range of topics, Udemy allows experts worldwide to easily create and deliver consumer-grade online learning experiences where students can learn on demand at their own pace. Founded in 2010, privately-owned Udemy is funded by Norwest Venture Partners, Insight Venture Partners, Lightbank, MHS Capital and 500 Startups, among others. Udemy is headquartered in San Francisco. Web: www.udemy.com |Twitter: @udemy |Facebook: www.facebook.com/udemy.

Contact: Anne Baker
[email protected]
Phone: 781-966-4122

SOURCE Udemy

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