- Almost one in four Aussies started studies in 2020
- COVID was on the minds of one in five Aussies who started or changed their course
- Overwhelming majority of Aussies chose the official route, going through education providers
Work from home was a massive trend for obvious reasons in 2020, The Property Tribune covered the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures on the WFH trends here.
Studying in 2020 likewise saw massive changes, the latest ABS numbers reporting just over one in four (26%) of Australians aged over 18 commenced formal or informal study over the pandemic year.
It was bedlam across the board, with lectures and tutorials moving online, some courses like engineering, science, and apprenticeships trying to figure out how online laboratories and workshops would operate.
Over one in five people (22%) ” started or intended to start new courses, or changed their studies, due to the effects of COVID-19 on their existing employment or study.”
The statistics say 32% of Australians with a job started studying or training, which eclipsed the number of those who didn’t have a job and started study (14%).
It seems the media hype around upskilling for the future could have spurred some on, any number of other reasons could have also seen the spike in already employed Australians taking on new studies.
Getting that prized piece of paper was on many Australian minds, formal studies leading to an accreditation seems came in at 46%; only 26% took on formal studies that would not lead to a qualification such as a one-off unit.
A majority (63%) of Australians chose the official route, going through education institutions or training providers, with around 30% doing the training or study through work.
The old Latin phrase: tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis (meaning the times change, and we change with them) rang true last year, the ABS said one in five Aussies started, intended to start, or changed their studies due to COVID.
