Just as the use of Zoom soared in the emergency caused by the coronavirus -due to the need for an efficient means to maintain communication-, this year there was also an unusual demand for online courses of all kinds, such as show some Udemy numbers.

«Since the pandemic, we saw an increase in the number of registrations of a little more than 400 percent,» says Alfredo Stockder, director of Global Marketing at Udemy, a platform with an offering of more than 130,000 online and video courses. , in 65 languages.

The manager refers that the demand may be due to the fact that online options are being seen as an alternative to the face-to-face modality —and more so when the health crisis forced physical distancing—, but also because people want to be prepared for the new requirements that they face. you are demanding your (remote) job.

In its «Global Skill Gap Report,» Udemy points out that 93 percent of Mexican workers say they are excited to learn new skills, and eight out of 10 state that it is important for companies to promote a culture of learning.

Since 2016, the firm has monitored trends related to the skills gap – the divide between employee skills and employer-required qualifications.

Thus, in its latest report, which takes data from Spain, France, Brazil, India – for the first time – and Mexico, it is said that 83 percent of workers worldwide believe that there is a skills gap, in so much so that 62 percent express feeling affected by it.

Although it is not the objective of the document that gathered 5,000 interviews of employees in the aforementioned countries, Stockder explains that some possible causes of the skills gap have to do with technological advances and if the education received really gives the necessary skills to develop in the work environment.

«Technology is changing so fast that it is difficult to learn, however, the funny thing is that people also believe that leadership and management skills (soft skills) are the most difficult to learn,» he emphasizes.

Thus, not everything should be reduced to a technical matter. Skills related to the human factor and collaboration are equally relevant, especially in the face of the «new reality» that is being experienced by the pandemic, he adds.

“The interest in learning is there, which is one of the key ingredients for people to try to close the skills gap. The other thing is that people are aware of the existing educational offerings, and that is where the pandemic has helped to accelerate the level of consciousness, ”Stockder emphasizes.