snehal shetty: Online education has become more mainstream and accessible due to Covid disruptions : Snehal Shetty

The education sector has perhaps been most disrupted by the pandemic, making online learning more mainstream and accessible, and a phenomenon that is here to stay, said COO Dr Snehal Shetty , Amrita Technology Business Incubator.

The impact has been seen in people of all ages browsing the online medium for learning purposes, and the heavy investments in the education technology sector over the past couple of years.

“In September 2020, UGC rolled out guidelines for universities offering online degrees, and today these programs show great potential. At Amrita Ahead, our online learning arm, we’ve seen learners from all parts of the country who have a deep desire to learn, grow and change careers,” Shetty said, speaking at of the second day of the Indian economic conclave.

The learners span different ages and are not limited to 17 or 18 year olds, Shetty said.

“There was even an 85-plus-year-old learner from Kerala who wanted to specialize in cybersecurity,” he said. “Last year we had students from 17 countries registering for our courses.”

Online universities in India are expected to be a game changer with their ability to attract students not only from India but from all over the world, as well as their ability to attract the best professors. At Amrita Ahead, there are faculty members based in Silicon Valley, Singapore and Canada, Shetty said.

The institute has also partnered with companies like Cisco and Amazon to roll out certifications for new era skills to make students more employable.