From education to employment

Massive surge in workers undertaking British Sign Language courses

James Reed, Chairman of REED

New research uncovers a 786% year-on-year increase in people undertaking new courses, to reskill or upskill for the new year

New research from Reed.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading jobs and careers sites, has revealed that British workers are preparing for the new year by upskilling or reskilling this winter, with over 140,000 courses purchased in the first half of November, a 786% year-on-year increase. 

Last year, during the peak of the pandemic, thousands of Brits retrained in new sectors, however, Reed.co.uk’s research – which analysed the 80,000 courses available on the site – shows this is a longstanding trend with thousands of people being proactive in their careers and their personal development into 2022. 

The research reveals that the ‘British Sign Language’ course saw the fastest growth in active students, with over 6,000 people purchasing the course between 1st to 15th November, potentially due to the recent success of the British Paralympics team and Rose Ayling-Ellis’s success on Strictly Come Dancing increasing representation for the hearing impaired.

‘Leadership Management’, ‘Child Psychology’ and ‘Project Management’ were the next three most popular courses, each with over 4,000 purchases the during the same period. 

The findings show that British workers are futureproofing themselves by acquiring digital skills and reskilling in sectors that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, over 2,000 people purchased the ‘Digital Marketing’ and ‘Counselling’ courses in the first half of November. 

Upskilling and reskilling remains at the forefront of many people’s minds, with over 25,000 enquiring about Reed.co.uk’s courses between 1st to 15th November, and now is the perfect time to undertake a new course as we head into Christmas and the new year. For Black Friday, Reed.co.uk has courses starting from just £10 and course seekers can register for an extra 10% off certain discounted courses. Courses are currently discounted in over 941 different sectors.

Commenting on the figures, James Reed, chairman of REED, said: 

“Our research proves the reskilling and upskilling trend we witnessed last year is here to stay. The results demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit of the British public, and many are opting to gain digital skills and undertake courses in sectors that will dominate the economy of the future.

“In a labour market where workers hold all the cards, the new skills acquired via these courses could help workers to secure a pay rise or a better role in the future. Thousands of courses are readily available on Reed.co.uk and during Black Friday many of them are heavily discounted. Choose one today to open doors in your career that were previously closed.”


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