Student enrollments are falling across the globe. In 2025, experts predict enrollments are going to drop significantly as the number of Americans of college-going age will fall.
International students are also on the decline. U.S. colleges and universities saw a 72% drop in students from other countries compared to the previous year, according to a report by Boundless. This is believed to be due to visa delays or denials, competition from other countries and the perceived anti-immigrant rhetoric in the country.
This drop in enrollments along with the growing digital skills gap and increased focus by employers on skills-based hiring has raised a vital question – is a college degree even necessary in 2025?
We believe the answer is yes, but it’s complicated
Research from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation shows that while confidence in the value of a college australia phone number lead degree declined in 2023, confidence in the value of job training and professional licensing programs went up.
This means it’s up to universities and colleges to ensure a degree is a good investment by equipping students with the skills required (theoretical and practical) by the modern labor market to boost their employability.
In this blog, we examine key ways the job market is changing and explore the strategies used by 8 universities to enhance their programme and increase student enrolments.
How is the job market changing
Employers have a lot to contend with right now. There are skills shortages, new ways of working like remote or hybrid, pressures to upskill and reskill, evolving technologies like artificial intelligence, an uncertain economy and environmental and societal influences.
This means that companies need employees that have the skills they need and can hit the ground running once employed in a role.
To create employable graduates, universities need to shift their focus from enabling post-graduation employment to fostering lifelong employability, according to BCG.
This means develop four core sets of skills
Digital Skills – The adoption of new and advancing technology will continue and has the potential to accelerate in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and big data.
Soft Skills – Today’s emphasis on soft skills will continue to expand to include abilities such as active bz lists learning, resilience, and flexibility.
Meta Skills – Employers increasingly value cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity in today’s complex and fast-paced work environments.
Technical Skills – Employees require role-specific competencies to differentiate themselves in the highly competitive labor market.
As a result, higher education institutions need to find innovative ways to drive employability and bridge the skills gap through stronger partnerships between universities and employers.
These types of academic-industry partnerships will also help universities gain a competitive edge and empower learners. They also help students achieve personal growth and take their skills to the next level.
To focus on employability, BCG believes universities need to update a variety of practices.
8 Strategies Universities Are Using to Boost Student Enrollment in 2024
Now that we know the challenges that employers and educators face, let’s look at 8 universities that are adapting and innovating to focus on student employability and as a result, increase student enrolments.
Universities working with industry to bridge the skills gap & develop employable skills
1. Georgia University
Georgia Tech has established numerous industry partnerships and is focused on giving students experience in entrepreneurship and the booming start-up industry.
Its Venture Lab program works with faculty and students to create startups based on Georgia Tech research using evidence-based entrepreneurship.
While CREATE-X is a free and quality backlink building training Georgia Tech initiative to instill entrepreneurial confidence in students and empower them to launch successful startups.
The main goal of this initiative is to provide the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences that will give Georgia Tech graduates the confidence to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. So far it has involved over 5,000 students and created over 300 start-up businesses.
2. University Canada West
As a leading Canadian university, UCW recognised the need to update its MBA program by adding a digital element to its marketing courses.
UCW’s main objective was to get their students job-ready in an ever-changing Canadian jobs market where traditional industries are declining while digital industries are booming.
Following a pre-planning, application, mapping, and validation process, UCW became a ‘DMI University Accredited Partner’ to offer students the Certified Digital Marketing Associate program in association with the American Marketing Association.
As a result of the partnership, UCW reported increased student enrollments – 700 in the first 6 months of the
