Health & Biotech

The rapid pace of globalization, digital transformation, and AI advancements have created a renewed demand for digital and human skills among U.S. learners, according to Coursera’s latest annual Global Skills Report. The fifth edition of the report also highlights the increasing demand for STEM education and industry micro-credentials.

“The rise of digital jobs and remote work is creating unprecedented opportunities for local talent to participate in the global workforce if they have the right skills and credentials,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO. “This report provides actionable insights on the changing skills landscape and the rapidly increasing availability of skilled talent around the world to help institutions inform their human capital and workforce strategies.”

Key U.S. findings include:

• The 22 million U.S. registered learners on Coursera represent 8.4% of the country’s working-age population. In the U.S., the average learner age is 35, with 41% using mobile learning and women representing over half (51%) of learners. The US has the highest demand for industry micro-credentials of any country globally, with learners amassing 1.3 million enrollments in entry-level Professional Certificates, in the last year (a 22% increase). The growing demand underscores the trend that individuals are increasingly turning to online micro-credentials to secure new jobs and advance their careers.

• STEM training demand rises alongside U.S. job growth. The CHIPS & Science Act calls for pathways for more Americans to enter STEM fields as the demand for talent outpaces supply. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the U.S. will need over 1 million more STEM professionals than it is currently on track to produce over the next decade. STEM course enrollments from U.S learners grew to 4.6 million as of March 31, 2023, a 22% increase from the previous year, with 41% of enrollments from women. Enrollments in entry-level STEM Professional Certificates grew 47% to 740,000 enrollments in the same timeframe.

• U.S. learners are prioritizing critical human skills like leadership, collaboration, change management, and conflict resolution more than learners in other countries. Cumulatively these topics have had 1.9 million enrollments. The demand for human skills underscores a growing recognition from individuals and organizations that workforce agility is critical to succeeding in a world characterized by relentless change.

• The Midwest emerges as a top business talent hub, with Illinois rankings outpacing coastal states. The Midwest represents four out of five leading states for business skill proficiency, including Illinois (1), Wisconsin (2), Indiana (3), Michigan (4), and Maine (5). Illinois ranks first for skill proficiency in business and data science, outranking major coastal hot spots, including New York and California. Florida is rising as a tech talent hub, tied with California as the top-ranking state across technology skill scores.

Overall, U.S. learners perform best in business skills, earning the highest proficiency rankings for accounting (90%), sales (70%), and marketing (74%). However, foundational data science skills present the greatest opportunity for investment, with mathematics, probability, and statistics among the lowest ranking proficiency scores.

With over 120 million learners, 7,000 institutions, and 5,400 courses from 300 of the world’s top universities and industry partners, Coursera has one of the largest data sets for identifying and measuring skill trends. In the Global Skills Report, 100 countries are ranked against one another, with percentile rankings attributed to each skill proficiency. A country that shows 100% skills proficiency ranks at the top of the 100+ countries, and a country with 0% is at the bottom.

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The government has launched a new fellowship programme to connect the Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) diaspora, across the world, with Indian academic and R&D institutions for collaborative research work leading to sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and best practices in the frontier areas of science & technology.

The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) fellowships programme to be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, would be awarded to outstanding scientist/technologists of Indian origin (NRI/OCI/PIO) who are engaged in research activities in their respective countries.

The 75 selected fellows would be invited to work in 18 identified knowledge verticals including quantum technology, health, pharma, electronics, agriculture, energy, computer sciences, and material sciences amongst others.

Applications for the first call are being invited through call for proposals from 15 June 2023 till 31 July 2023.

The VAIBHAV Fellow would identify an Indian Institution for collaboration and may spend up to two months in a year for a maximum of 3 years. Fellowship would include fellowship grant (Rs 4,00,000 per month), international and domestic travel, accommodation and contingencies. The VAIBHAV fellows are expected to collaborate with their Indian counterparts and help initiate research activities in the host institution in the cutting-edge areas of Science and Technology.

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), the premier professional organization dedicated to advancing the field of healthcare simulation, enthusiastically supports the recent legislation signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, which expands simulation training opportunities for nursing students who now can complete up to one third of their clinical training through simulation experiences.

This landmark bill, A3076-A/S447-C, marks a significant step forward in enhancing the quality of nursing education and addressing current nursing shortages.

"The Society for Simulation in Healthcare commends Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to the healthcare workforce with her recognition of the vital role simulation plays in nursing education," said SSH President Jayne Smitten. "This legislation not only accelerates the healthcare simulation education and training processes for aspiring nurses but also underscores the efforts towards quality patient care and improved patient outcomes in New York."

This initiative offers nursing education programs the flexibility to provide hands-on experiential teaching and learning in clinical environments while addressing the limited availability of traditional hospital clinical placements. Essential hands-on experiences will expedite training and streamline the path to licensure, allowing nurses to enter the workforce more efficiently.

"Nursing programs across New York can now offer more options for clinical education, unlocking new opportunities for aspiring nurses," added Smitten. "By expanding healthcare simulation training and enhanced education, nursing students are empowered to develop the necessary competence and confidence required to provide exceptional patient care."