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Next
Generation of Workers
Not only is it important
to understand the changes in the demographics, we must also
understand the expectations of the next generation of workers.
Within five to ten years, the generation entering the workforce will
have spent most of their youth in the Internet era. What will their
expectations be as to learning? How will they find the answers to
the challenges they face?
K-12 –
Kids and Teens
USbancorp – Piper Jaffray describes the increase numbers of kids
and teens using the Internet.
And it is not just
adults. Today's kids and teens view the Internet as a preferred
tool for in- formation gathering. The two largest growth sectors
on the Internet, kids (ages 5-12) and teens (ages 13-18) are
expected to grow dramatically over the next few years. The number
of kids on the Web is expected to grow to 21.9 million in 2002
from 8.6 million in 1998, a CAGR of roughly 26%. The number of
teens on the Web is also expected to grow rapidly to 16.6 million
in 2002 from 8.4 million in 1998, a CAGR of approximately 19%.
Moreover, by 2002, Jupiter Communications predicts that teens will
account for $1.2 billion and kids will account for $100 million of
the e-Commerce dollars spent.
|
Kids and Teens on the Internet |
| |
1998 |
2002 |
Percent
Increase |
|
Kids |
8.6
million |
21.9
million |
155% |
|
Teens |
8.4
million |
16.6
million |
97% |
|
Note: Kids are
ages 5-12; teens are ages 13-18
Source: Jupiter Communications
|
|
The following graph
indicates the locations from which children are accessing the
Internet.
|
Kids on the Web (millions) |
| |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
Children who
use
from home only |
1.5 |
2.6 |
3.8 |
5.2 |
6.7 |
7.3 |
9.5 |
10.1 |
|
Children who
use
from home and school |
0.6 |
1.4 |
2.9 |
4.2 |
5.8 |
7.1 |
7.8 |
10.1 |
|
Children who
use
from school only |
-- |
0.1 |
0.3 |
1.0 |
2.5 |
4.7 |
7.8 |
10.1 |
|
Total online
children (2-17) |
2.1 |
4.1 |
7.0 |
10.5 |
14.9 |
19.2 |
25.0 |
30.3 |
|
Source:
Jupiter Communications, The 1997 Online Kids Report |
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Higher
Education
The following snapshot of higher education by USbancorp – Piper
Jaffray shows the type of changes expected in the post-secondary
market:
The U.S. higher
education market consists of 3,700 educational institutions and
accounts for $225 billion in expenditures.
- Enrollment in
institutions of higher education was over 14 million students
in the 1996- 1997 school year, and is expected to increase to
16 million by 2008.
- There are 6.6 million
adults (persons aged 25 and older) projected to enroll in
higher education by 2007.
- The number of high
school graduates is expected to increase 20% from 1995 to 2008
(from 2.5 million to 3.0 million).
- Sixty-five percent of
all high school graduates go on to college.
- The number of
students enrolled in distance education is expected to grow
from 753,640 in 1998 to 2.2 million by 2002. (Source: NCES,
IDC)
- By 2003, over 50% of
all higher educational institutions globally will be offering
e- Learning programs to students. (Source: Gartner
Group)
Almost every college
student has access to the Internet, according to IDC:
Computer usage in
colleges and universities is almost a requirement at this point.
Some universities require students to have a PC upon enrollment.
According to the IDC:
- 92.3% of four- and
two-year college students use a PC at school.
- 86.6% of students at
four-year colleges and 56.6% of students at two-year colleges
use the Internet.
USbancorp – Piper
Jaffray refers to several different sources that discuss the
integration of the Internet in the lives and pocketbooks of college
students.
It is more than just
learning online though. The Internet has become a daily staple for
many college students today. Over 60% of college students check
out the Web daily and almost 85% own computers. (Source: USA
Today) Also, of the $105 billion university students are
expected to spend on everything from books to clothes to rent,
$700 million will be spent online. (Source: Student
Monitor) Moreover, college student spending over the Web is
expected to reach $4 billion by 2002. (Source: Jupiter
Communications) No doubt, the Web is wired into the daily lives of
college students, creating huge opportunities for companies that
offer products and services to students online.
Other
Notable Education Drivers for e-Learning
USbancorp – Piper Jaffray denotes several other drivers for change
that lead to e-Learning. The following points cover drivers from
parents to K-12 students to college students:
- e-Learning is now
broadly recognized as a viable learning vehicle in higher
education. This recognition is furthered by the scores of
renowned educational institutions that now offer e-Learning
programs, such as Wharton, Harvard, Stanford, and UCLA.
- Today's high school
graduates are more technology savvy than at any other time in
history. Often referred to as the "Net" generation,
these graduates grew up with PCs and the Internet and thus are
more technology savvy than their counterparts of the past.
Approximately 31% of high school students rated
"expert" or "highly proficient" in their
computing or technical skills. (Source: Student Monitor LLC) The
growing number of technology savvy high school graduates will
clearly be a boon to higher education c- Learning. Today's
college students grew up with the Web and are comfortable
extending its usage into their college education.
- Parents and students
are looking for lower cost educational solutions. In an effort
to meet the demands of their communities, educational
institutions feel it is necessary to offer low-cost education.
Public institutions, for example, which generally have a more
community-oriented focus than their private counterparts, offer
a greater number of e- Learning courses.
- Lifelong learning is as
germane to the American culture as baseball and apple pie.
Americans have realized that competitiveness in the job market
and continual learning are strongly correlated. The Internet
represents the underlying bedrock that makes life- long learning
a reachable goal for all.
- Less than 33% of
college students are categorized as "traditional"
full-time students.
- e-Learning tears down
the classroom walls. With the addition of more students, higher
education institutions face capacity issues as the need for more
classroom space in- creases.
- Educational
institutions look to e-Learning as a way to leverage their
investment in IT technology, thus making IT infrastructure
expenditures less of an overhead item and more of a direct cost
of doing the business of education. e-Learning can be viewed as
a natural by-product of higher education's investment in IT
infrastructure.
- The United States
government has recently demonstrated a greater commitment to e-
Learning. Examples include the DOE's $30 million competitive
grant program to sup- port e-Learning and its Learning Anytime
Anywhere Partnership Program, which encourages educational
institutions and businesses to offer learning solutions to those
constrained by time and place.
- e-Learning enables
colleges to extend their reach to learners who would otherwise
not have the time or opportunity to attend college.
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