In the past, most students took a conventional path, entering higher education in their late teens or early 20s, but now many are learning from a distance rather than studying on campus or re-entering higher education while working full-time. A large proportion of our students are now in their late 30s and early 40s. Instead of filing in and out of lecture theatres and the university library, they are learning online at a time to suit their busy lives, allowing them to juggle their careers, childcare, or looking after ageing parents. By 2030, so-called “non-traditional” learners like these are predicted to overtake traditional, campus-based students. That growth is being driven in part by workers wanting to update their skills or complement the ones they already have to help them with their career goals alongside businesses keen to upskill their employees as the job market changes.
