Learner Demographics
A remarkable fact from the Alison Learner and Graduate Survey 2014 was that over 100,000 comments were made by contributors. Alison learners have always been a vibrant (and vocal!) community! Comments were made not just by those with a personal interest in free online education and workplace skills development, but also by representatives of schools, colleges, NGOs, international and national government and private businesses. We invite research organisations to work with us with regard to future surveys.
Age and Education
The age profile of Alison learners and graduates is what you might expect from a website focused on workplace education and skills training. We increasingly provide courses on STEM subjects, often categorized as high school related courseware, as many in modern workplaces need to understand these areas.
For older workers, completing Alison courses is a way to show employers that new skills are being learned and they remain competitive. It is also a way for employers to make sure that all employees have basic workplace skills as there is direct cost to them in promoting same.
With regard to education level, because of Alison's exceptional reach in the developing world, many learners do not have formal 3rd level qualifications but are proving just as bright and committed to continuous lifelong learning.