It seems kinda obvious that investing in your skills is going to make you more promotable, but to date there has been an apparent distinction between (usually offline) courses that have more historic credentials attached to them, and newer (usually online) courses that don’t.

A recent survey from UK-based MOOC network FutureLearn suggests this is slowly changing however.  It found that around 73% of employees believed that taking an online course would improve their chances of either securing a promotion or a new role entirely.

What’s more, this was not simply a case of learners themselves over-inflating the value of MOOCs, for the same number of employers reported finding such courses either very valuable or valuable when considering an employee for a promotion.

Promotion material

What’s more, the value of MOOCs was also evident when considering a candidate for vacancies.  Recruiters revealed that online learning is often regarded as a differentiating factor, especially when candidates have similar qualifications or experience.  This was especially true in mid-management level roles.

The research saw 600 employees who worked in either recruitment or learning and development roles from the UK, United States and Australia quizzed on their attitude towards online learning, including the uptake of MOOCs within their own organizations.

An impressive 91% of employers had seen a significant increase in enrolment on such courses in their organization in the last year, with many believing that MOOCs are a valuable addition alongside more traditional offline training.    This translated into the willingness of employers to invest in online training.  Some 80% said they’d happily fund employees who wished to enrol in a MOOC, with employers willing to devote a whopping 9.6 hours of work time to online learning per month.

“The fact that online learning is part of conversations around hiring and promotions, and that employers are reporting an increase in its usage, is all really encouraging. We live in a digital age and it follows that employers should attribute such weight to professional development through digital mediums,” FutureLearn say.  “If we don’t actively encourage upskilling we risk sleepwalking into an era of almost unprecedented technological change. Online learning provides a platform that allows upskilling at scale and can be rolled out company-wide. If previously ‘professional development’ has meant cross-diarising and herding as many people into a room as possible for the afternoon, here is a solution that offers greater flexibility and allows learners to go at their own pace and balance professional development against competing priorities — while still having the benefits of being on the same course as their coworkers.”

Now, of course, you might apply a dollop of salt to findings from a MOOC provider that MOOCs are valuable in the workplace, but if we apply good faith to the results, it does present an image of a method of learning that has gained acceptance in the workplace.  Hopefully it’s a reality that you recognize from your own organization.