There’s a dark rumour going around…

It says that digital courses are declining and that market demand has peaked.

I’ve seen this kind of thing mentioned on Facebook a fair few times recently…

And every so often I’ll get an email (or comment on a post) that queries the health of the digital course market.

For instance, last week, someone emailed me to ask, “Is there still a demand for courses after Covid or is it waning? I hear people are tired of staring at the screen.”

Now I try not to get offended when someone asks me this kind of question 😉

Obviously, I wouldn’t be suggesting to my readers that they should create an online course if I didn’t truly believe there was still a robust demand for them.

But I can understand why someone might worry that they’re getting into a business that’s on a downturn, rather than one that’s on-the-up.

So today I thought I’d give you the facts – all of which show that the rumours about the death of courses are not only exaggerated but wrong!

A deep dive into the stats you need to know!

Let’s start with the eLearning market as a whole.

The industry has grown by 900% since 2000 – I believe a lot of that has been boosted by advancements in digital technology, higher speed internet, and the increasing use of online learning platforms by businesses and regular people seeking to learn new skills.

But it is far from peaking.

In fact, this meteoric rise shows no sign of slowing down at all.

The global market was valued at $250 billion in 2023 and is expected to hit $490.20 billion by 2029 (sorry it’s all in dollars – these research reports all seem to be!)

In fact I’ve seen recent estimates that it could be worth a mind-blowing $1.4 TRILLION by 2032.

Why?

As well as the demand for courses for regular people there is an ever-increasing need for businesses to find ways to train, re-skill and improve the performances of their staff.

Because the advantages are huge…

• Studies show that online courses are great ways to absorb knowledge, with students retaining 25% to 60% more information compared to traditional classroom coaching.
• Online learning takes 40% to 60% less employee time than face-to-face learning, which reduces training costs.
• What’s more, online learning is also sustainable, consuming 90% less energy and producing 85% less CO2 emissions per student than in-person training.

Companies aren’t reducing levels of online learning after Covid – instead more and more businesses are embracing it.

So in terms of business-to-business courses, expect more demand continuously over the next 8 years at least!

And what about consumer courses – those that aren’t just aimed at businesses?

The private market for eLearning is growing too

Yes, it’s true that the pandemic accelerated the popularity of digital courses – as people were confined to home with plenty of free time to spare.

But the pandemic also boosted the trend for remote working, which required many people to learn new skills in communication, technology, motivation and organisation in order to operate well from home.

So make no mistake, courses are still a popular way to learn.

People like them for their flexibility, and the way that they can learn at their own pace. This is appealing for anyone looking to gain new skills for career advancement, improving their hobbies, or starting a business.

For instance, in one survey, 81% of people who changed career paths attributed it to an online course while 31% said they would take an online course to gain new skills to further their career.

What’s more, while it may have spiked during the pandemic, remote working is here to stay.

According to the World Economic Forum, global digital jobs are estimated to grow by around 25% to over 90 million roles by 2030.

Some estimates suggest that over 50% of the global labour force will require reskilling to adapt to the new reality.

So there’s going to be a steadily rising demand for courses that offer students the chance to learn and develop skills in productivity, marketing, tech and design.

On top of that, there’s also a growing marketplace of creators – people who want to make and sell their own products, designs, artworks, books and music.

The number of creators is expected to grow by between 10-20% per year over the next five years, with the creator economy estimated to reach $500 billion by 2027.

Many of these people look for help and guidance through online courses – and, indeed, many of them will also create courses to monetise what they know.

This is why by 2029, the number of consumers in the online learning market is expected to top 1.1 billion globally.

What this means for you…

I know I’ve hit you with a LOT of big figures there which is rather different from my normal chatty emails to you.

But I want you to see all the evidence laid out in black and white.

As you can see, the eLearning industry is growing and will keep on growing.

Hopefully this will overcome any nagging doubts that this is a dying business or a slowing trend – and reassure you that there is still plenty of room to get in now with your first digital course.

If you’d like my help, then there is a place for you in my Course Creation Academy, where I take you through every step of the process… from ideas and research, to creating and successfully launching it.

To join the waitlist register here (there is no obligation and I’ll just be in touch when a waitlist place becomes available in future)