New Delhi: Internshala Trainings, the skilling engine of Internshala has rolled out its year-ender e-learning trends report for the year. The report reveals a remarkable 6.3-fold increase in the number of students opting for online certification courses to enhance their skillsets over the past five years.

The report highlights the most sought-after skill courses, with Web Development leading the pack at 16% course enrollments, closely followed by Digital Marketing and Programming with Python at 8% each. These courses were followed by Advanced Excel at 5%, Data Science at 4%, and Machine Learning at 4% learners. These statistics reflect the diverse interests of students in fields including engineering, programming, business development, and data science.

In 2023, nearly half (49%) of the students cited the primary reason for pursuing online training as a means to secure internships and future job opportunities. Another significant portion, 32%, sought to acquire new skills, while 11% pursued training to obtain certifications. The remaining students engaged in the courses for personal project development and to fulfil college requirements.

Successfully completing a self-paced online training demands a high level of commitment, effective time management, and a genuine thirst for knowledge, resulting in a commendable 51% completion rate in 2023. On average, learners dedicated 43 minutes each day to their online training modules.

The trend of online skill training is not limited to a particular gender, as reflected by the enrollment figures—57% male and 43% female students actively participating in these courses.

A noteworthy revelation from the 2023 e-learning trends is that 61.6% of learners hailed from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, surpassing the 38.4% from tier-1 cities. This shift indicates how students from smaller cities are leveraging online education to enhance their skill sets, thereby bolstering their chances in the competitive job market. Key cities contributing to this surge include Delhi (7%), Hyderabad (6%), Bangalore (5%), Pune (4%), Mumbai (4%), Kolkata (3%), and Chennai (2%), among others.

Commenting on the trends, Shadab Alam, Head of Internshala Trainings, remarked, “The evolving landscape of technology is reshaping industries, leading to a preference for skill-based hiring. Organisations are increasingly valuing practical skills over traditional degrees. Recognising this shift, students are actively pursuing online courses as a convenient and affordable means to acquire high in-demand skills with up-to-date content. This substantial increase in students pursuing online certification courses evidently highlights that students are understanding the current needs of the job market and are skilling up to improve their employability.”