Latest Nexford learner satisfaction results

The pandemic has forced people to change the way they work, exist, shop and most crucially, pursue higher education. Although many would say enforced, according to a Harvard Business Review, pre-pandemic, there was already widespread acknowledgment that the traditional higher education business model was seriously challenged.

The later part of 2020 marked a clear inflection point as students, educators, and government leaders alike scrutinized the price and value proposition of higher education through the new lens of traditional classroom versus multiple modes of digital delivery.

95% satisfied with their studies

What has also come to the fore during all stages of the pandemic and will remain that way post-pandemic, is that globally aspiring learners keen to progress their skill sets to get top jobs, get promoted and earn pay raises, and organizations keen to hire those skilled individuals to boost productivity and the bottom line, are increasingly throwing their support and money behind online learning.

E-student.org maintains that over the first part of this year, corporations are becoming one of the biggest drivers of e-learning, with companies spending increasingly larger percentages of their learning and development budgets on online learning. In fact, over 30% of Nexford’s own learners are sponsored by their employers, as these employers have prioritized up-skilling and re-skilling.

But leading global corporations are not just sending their employees to be up-skilled via e-learning, they are also increasingly looking to employ those who come out of university with skills over theory. A curriculum that right now only a select few universities are equipped to offer.

Our first learner satisfaction survey of 2021 that took place across the first quarter of the year, showed that this global trend was echoed when we poured over the survey results. We surveyed hundreds of current learners these are executives, and professionals studying undergraduate and graduate degree programs including our flagship MBA, certificates, and short courses. The emphasis of this survey was on the number of people continuing to work and using new skills at work immediately.

High satisfaction levels can be attributed to the learner benefits that our graduates are getting out of enrolling in and completing their programs. This stretches to boosting careers, promotions, and attaining pay raises. Dr. Robin Johnston, Chief Learning Officer at Nexford maintains that this can be attributed to a strong combination of faculty, learner success, and writing coach support and that the content in each program is relevant to the skills that learners will need to use and apply in the workplace post-graduation.

Dr. Johnston went on to say with regards to faculty support that it was standalone. “Nexford faculty offer optional live sessions during a learner’s course and are committed to one-on-one office hours every week, which we see learners taking advantage of more and more. And we have played a major part in keeping everyone connected at all stages of the pandemic. Presence is huge during all stages of online learning.” That is an addition to Nexford success advisors being available 24/7 to support our learners.

95% gained valuable work skills

Some learners think that by slapping three letters behind their name it suddenly makes them more employable or prone to boosting their careers at their current employers. Unfortunately for them, theory is not going to cut it. It’s skills-based learning that will equip them with the skills that employers are looking for right now.

To turn this theory into practice, every single one of the learners in this recent survey believed that their Nexford program, be it an MBA or BBA, was equipping them with the real skills employers need, in industries with the greatest growth opportunities. This they believed will allow them to hit the ground running to get ahead, and stay ahead of the chasing pack of graduates, peers, and colleagues.

All over the world Nexford learners are building the skills they need to become leaders, not followers, go in a different direction to others to progress in their careers, become successful entrepreneurs, scale their startups, the list goes on. Dr. Johnston maintains that skills are the way forward because skills are the unifying language and the connection between higher education and the workplace. That is the future of learning and the future of work.

“The more they can see that the skills imparted in the programs during their time of learning with Nexford are the skills required in the workplace both now and in the future, so the learner success stories will just build and build. We use big data to understand what the workplace needs are, what the top global companies are looking for and then design our curriculum accordingly. This is how Nexford was born.”

98% would recommend Nexford

Case studies and learner testimonials tell a positive tale but there is most certainly a reason why an incredible 98% of our learners would recommend Nexford.

Hear from our community first-hand: read our learner reviews