According to the 2022 Global Workplace Report, only 21% of employees feel engaged at work, and only 33% think they are thriving in their overall wellbeing. Couple that with the fact that the World Economic Forums’ Future of Jobs predicts that 50% of employees will have to reskill by 2025 to remain relevant in the future economy, it’s easy to see why people feel pessimistic about their jobs, and their futures.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, there’s never been more access to solutions that can help you future-proof yourself for the digital economy. It’s entirely possible to find a job that you love, that fulfils you, and that accommodates your lifestyle. Switching careers might seem daunting, but with the rise of digital courses that provide outcome-based learning and mentoring programs, and offer affordable, practical ways to reskill, it’s simpler now than it’s ever been before.

Reskilling can seem impossibly complicated, and knowing where to start, let alone where to finish, can be daunting. The first solution to this problem was the invention of MOOCs (massive open online courses), which were widely available, and usually cheap. The issues here were evident: these courses were one-dimensional, and generally lacked accountability. Students would sit at home and watch videos, detached from any elements of a real, healthy educational experience. They also felt isolating for students who were learning alone, with just their computer screen for company. 

Then came traditional bootcamps, which would be attended in-person. However, they were expensive, with long commutes for students, and required attendance full-time, which was impossible for people with children or dependents, or those without the financial freedom to study unpaid. 

The idea for CareerFoundry came in response to what I felt was lacking in both generations: the first (MOOCs) lacked a human touch, and the second (bootcamps) lacked inclusiveness. Whilst online learning can be great for flexibility, I believe it’s the human element that’s so vital to a meaningful educational experience. Without it, courses can feel isolating, lack dynamism, and also tend to be less effective, with very low completion rates (many as low as 15%). I felt it was important, when offering an online educational experience, to create a real sense of community, and to ensure it was as flexible as possible for those who can’t attend courses during traditional hours. This mentoring was one key way I felt the model could be improved, and another was to ensure the learning was practical, and outcome-based. It was important that it didn’t feel as if you were learning by rote from videos that were not interactive, and quickly became outdated, and that there was a clear, tangible goal to work towards. 

With the widespread adoption of remote working in the post-pandemic world, we’ve now entered a new era of truly flexible learning. To accommodate those who found traditional education models lacking, this new way of learning is flexible, human-centric, personalised and asynchronous. In short, it’s truly accessible and inclusive. It’s now easier than ever to reskill, with courses that fit seamlessly around your life, commitments, and interests. 

CareerFoundry in particular runs on a dual mentorship model, where students are given an industry mentor, as well as a personal tutor, to help with both professional growth, and to ensure the teaching is bespoke and feedback is personalised and effective. Our trained mentors give clear, individualised support, and we ensure that all mentors work in the field, and are up-to-date with their industry. The curricula are written by industry experts, and are updated regularly to reflect the constantly-evolving digital landscape. In fact, CareerFoundry even offers a money-back guarantee, which reduces the risk and fear often associated with changing careers. 

In a world where so many jobs are slowly becoming automated, it makes sense to have flexible, affordable ways for people to transition into a career in tech, which, in turn, opens up a whole new talent pool of tech workers for employers. Accessing potential which was previously limited by geography, financial freedom, and life commitments, means employers can make better decisions for their companies, and work to build diverse, driven workforces. 

The tech industry continues to suffer from a much reported, but largely unresolved, diversity problem. According to Tech Nation, only 26% of all tech workers are women, and in 2021 all female startups secured only 2% of venture capital funding. It’s important for CareerFoundry that while reskilling you can still work full or part-time, care for children and dependents, and live anywhere in the world (so long as you have an internet connection!). Unlike industry standard, at CareerFoundry over 50% of course participants are women, 44% work full-time while reskilling, and 29% of students care for dependents. As we diversify the talent entering tech’s workforce, we can challenge outdated notions of what a ‘developer’ or ‘data analyst’ looks like, debunking ideas about gendered jobs, roles and innate abilities. 

Diversity is vital to CareerFoundry. We are looking to level the playing field for anyone looking to reskill, supporting those typically excluded from inflexible and rigid in-person bootcamps and full-time courses. In fact, 54% of CareerFoundry students have zero experience in the field of their course. We’ve taught opera singers how to code, helped priests and pastry chefs become UX designers, and unemployed people in Germany reskill through an official partnership with the government’s job centre. 

Indeed, as traditional educational models become increasingly obsolete - failing to offer the freedom of learning and routine, nor relevant, modern skills - it’s clear that flexible, online tech schools are the way forward. Offering better career prospects for a better price, working to challenge the relevance of traditional education models in today’s modern economy, they’re real solutions to the problems that are facing - and will face - workers across the globe. Now, more than ever, it seems like workers need to upskill and reskill to ensure job security in the ever-changing digital economy. Flexible online schools, like CareerFoundry, are transforming the notion of a ‘career change’, and making them possible, accessible and financially viable for everyone.