Key to Wisconsin’s online education market are the thousands of working adults who have some college credits but no degree. A recent report estimates this share of the state’s population to be as many as 662,000 people. System officials see online education as the bridge connecting this group with the skills employers say they desperately need from their workforce.
“We’re really aiming at this adult professional market,” said Aaron Brower, who oversees the System’s online education programs. “That’s a group that’s pretty under-served in our state.”
Many adult learners are in their 30s balancing work, school and family commitments, so they need flexible and personalized programming that fits their existing lifestyles.