GALWAY, IRELAND - 2026-06-05
Alison has passed a major regional milestone, graduating more than 5 million people across Asia. The achievement points to a growing appetite for practical, flexible skills development across the continent, where Learners are looking for affordable ways to build capability, strengthen employability, and move forward in a changing labour market.
A Continental Milestone for Accessible Learning
Asia is home to some of the world’s fastest-changing education and employment markets. As technology reshapes work, people need pathways that are open, practical, and flexible enough to fit around daily life. Alison’s milestone in Asia shows how free online learning is becoming a meaningful route for people who want to turn ambition into recognised progress.
The scale of the achievement matters because it reflects completed learning, not passive interest. Each Alison Graduate represents someone who has taken a step towards building new skills, proving capability, or preparing for better work. For a region as diverse as Asia, that reach is also a reminder that flexible learning can meet people where they are, whether they are entering the workforce, changing direction, or strengthening the skills they already use.
Skills Matter as Asia’s Labour Markets Transform
The need for practical learning is becoming more urgent. The World Bank has reported that advanced technologies, including AI, digital platforms, and automation, are reshaping labour markets in East Asia and the Pacific, with workforce skills central to sustaining job-creating growth. The ILO has also pointed to slowing employment growth across Asia and the Pacific in 2025, underlining the importance of helping workers adapt as opportunities become more competitive.
That context makes Alison’s regional milestone especially relevant. Free, self-paced learning gives people a way to respond to change without waiting for formal systems, high fees, or fixed schedules. It supports those who want to act now, whether they are developing digital skills, improving workplace confidence, or earning Certificates and Diplomas to demonstrate progress to employers.
Turning Learning Into Forward Movement
Alison’s growth in Asia reflects a simple but powerful shift: people are increasingly taking ownership of their own learning. In markets where cost, location, and time can all limit access to education, free online courses create a practical bridge between aspiration and action.
For Alison, surpassing 5 million Graduates across Asia is more than a platform milestone. It is evidence of broad, sustained demand for learning that can improve lives at scale. As the Asian Development Bank has highlighted, digital transformation across Asia and the Pacific depends not only on technology, but also on whether people can gain the skills to use it well. Alison’s model is built around that human outcome, making learning available to anyone with the motivation to begin.
Ends
Resources
Alison offers a range of free online learning and career development tools. These include online Certificate and Diploma courses focused on workplace and professional skills; a Career Ready Plan that helps individuals explore and prepare for potential career paths; and psychometric assessments such as the Workplace Personality Assessment and the Workplace Mental Health Assessment, which provide insight into work styles, strengths, and wellbeing.
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 Numerical, 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. The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with complete 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.
