GALWAY, IRELAND – 2026-02-20
Alison has reached one million Learners across Oceania, as individuals across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Island nations respond to mounting workforce pressures and skills shortages.
Across the region, employers are struggling to fill roles, industries are adapting to digital transformation, and labour mobility is reshaping local capacity. In this environment, scalable and accessible online learning is emerging as a practical tool for workforce resilience.
Australia: Widespread Occupational Shortages Drive Upskilling
Australia continues to face widespread occupational shortages. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, 36% of assessed occupations were in national shortage in 2023, with shortages particularly concentrated in the health, trades, and technical sectors. In addition, employers also reported difficulty in filling roles, particularly outside major metropolitan centres.
As Australia balances infrastructure growth, healthcare demand, and digital transformation, individuals are proactively building their skills, helping them prepare for high-demand roles.
New Zealand: Supporting Employers Struggling to Recruit
Recruitment pressures are similarly acute in New Zealand. An employer survey by the Human Resources Director reported that 90% of employers with open roles were struggling to recruit, while 30% had been advertising vacancies for more than six months.
Meanwhile, skills shortages have been reported across sectors like healthcare, construction, and technology, increasing pressure on employers and professionals alike.
As competition for talent intensifies, more New Zealand Learners are investing in continuous skill development to improve career mobility, secure promotions, and remain competitive in a constrained labour market.
Pacific Island Nations: Expanding Access to Education Amid Workforce Migration
Across the Pacific Island nations, workforce dynamics are shaped by both opportunity and constraint. The World Health Organization has highlighted persistent health workforce shortages across the region, noting that migration of trained professionals places additional strain on local systems.
At the same time, regional labour mobility continues to expand. As of 2024, over 30,000 workers from the Pacific Island nations were participating in Australia’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme.
While labour mobility supports household incomes, it also reinforces the need for scalable skills development within local communities.
For geographically dispersed populations, online learning is increasingly reducing barriers created by cost, travel, and limited institutional infrastructure.
Building Practical Skills for a Changing Regional Economy
Across Oceania, demand is rising for practical capability in digital literacy, project management, business operations, customer service, and workplace readiness.
Through more than 6,000 free online Certificate and Diploma courses, Alison helps Learners build job-ready skills.
As workforce pressures intensify across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific, Alison’s feat of one million Learners across Oceania highlights how people are actively investing in their own employability across the continent.
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Multimedia and resources
Beyond thousands of free courses, Learners can explore Alison’s full career toolkit. This includes psychometric assessments such as the Workplace Personality Assessment, Aptitude Tests covering Verbal, Numerical, and Abstract reasoning, a Mental Wellbeing Assessment, and an English Proficiency Test. Other practical tools like the Career Ready Plan and Resumé Builder further support the transition from learning to employability.
Media Contact
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About Alison
Alison is a global leader in free online learning and skills development. With over 50 million registered Learners across 193 countries (as of October 2025), Alison empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to upskill quickly and effectively — at zero cost.
The Alison platform provides immediate access to over 6,000 free, CPD-accredited courses, covering essential areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Business Operations, Healthcare and Sustainability. Courses are created by a mix of independent experts and global leaders, including IBM, Stanford and Microsoft.
For organisations, Alison offers a Free Learning Management System (LMS) that enables unlimited Learners to access thousands of courses with no upfront cost. A premium version with advanced analytics and customisation is also available. Alison's offering includes a full suite of assessments and psychometric tools, including a Workplace Personality Assessment, Mental Health & Wellbeing Assessment, English Language Proficiency Test, as well as Numeracy, Verbal, and Abstract Reasoning tests. To further support career development, Learners also gain access to a Career Guide, a Resumé Builder, and the ability to study offline through the Alison App.
In 2025, Alison is launching a Global Recruitment Service to connect employers directly with skilled, motivated Learners. The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with full Spanish, French, and Hindi offerings — reaffirming its mission to make education accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Founded in 2007, Alison pioneered the concept of free, large-scale online learning and is recognised as the world’s first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. Today, its mission continues: to break down barriers to learning, helping people gain skills, build confidence, and improve their lives — no matter where they live or what they earn.
