Student enrollments are falling across the globe. 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. 

8 Strategies Universities Are Using to Boost Student Enrollment in 2024

8-strategies-universities-are-using-to-boost-student-enrollment-in-2024

[[p]]Student enrollments are falling across the globe. In 2025, [[a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/education/4398533-college-enrollment-could-take-a-big-hit-in-2025-heres-why/" target="_blank"]]experts predict[[/a]] enrollments are going to drop significantly as the number of Americans of college-going age will fall.[[/p]]

[[p]]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.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]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?&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]We believe the answer is yes, but it&rsquo;s complicated!&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Research from the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation shows that while confidence in the value of a college degree declined in 2023, confidence in the value of job training and professional licensing programs went up.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]This means it&rsquo;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 [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/universities-colleges-5-ways-to-boost-student-employability-in-2024" target="_blank"]]boost their employability[[/a]].&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]In this blog, we examine key ways the job market is changing and explore the strategies used by 8 universities to enhance their programs and increase student enrolments.[[/p]]

[[p]]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 [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ai-in-digital-marketing-the-ultimate-guide" target="_blank"]]artificial intelligence[[/a]], an uncertain economy and environmental and societal influences.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]This means that companies need employees that have the skills they need and can hit the ground running once employed in a role.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]To create employable graduates, universities need to shift their focus from enabling post-graduation employment to fostering lifelong employability, according to [[a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/ten-lessons-for-universities-prepare-students-future-of-work" target="_blank"]]BCG[[/a]].&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]This means develop four core sets of skills:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Digital Skills[[/strong]] - 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.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Soft Skills[[/strong]] - Today&rsquo;s emphasis on [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/9-essential-soft-skills-for-digital-marketers" target="_blank"]]soft skills[[/a]] will continue to expand to include abilities such as active learning, resilience, and flexibility.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Meta Skills[[/strong]] - Employers increasingly value cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity in today&rsquo;s complex and fast-paced work environments.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Technical Skills[[/strong]] - Employees require role-specific competencies to differentiate themselves in the highly competitive labor market.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]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.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]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.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]To focus on employability, BCG believes universities need to update a variety of practices.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Now that we know the challenges that employers and educators face, let&rsquo;s look at 8 universities that are adapting and innovating to focus on student employability and as a result, increase student enrolments.[[/p]]

[[p]]Georgia Tech has established numerous industry partnerships and is focused on giving students experience in entrepreneurship and the booming start-up industry.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Its [[a href="https://venturelab.gatech.edu/" target="_blank"]]Venture Lab program[[/a]] works with faculty and students to create startups based on Georgia Tech research using evidence-based entrepreneurship.[[/p]]

[[p]]While CREATE-X is a Georgia Tech initiative to instill entrepreneurial confidence in students and empower them to launch successful startups.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]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.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]As a leading Canadian university, UCW recognised the need to update its MBA program by adding a digital element to its marketing courses.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]UCW&rsquo;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.[[/p]]

[[p]]Following a pre-planning, application, mapping, and validation process, UCW became a &lsquo;DMI University Accredited Partner&rsquo; to offer students the Certified Digital Marketing Associate program in association with the American Marketing Association.[[/p]]

[[p]]As a result of the [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/educators/accreditation?utm_source=organic&amp;utm_medium=organic_content&amp;utm_campaign=organic_blog_indirect_sep24" target="_blank"]]partnership[[/a]], UCW reported increased student enrollments - 700 in the first 6 months of the agreement, increased student engagement, increased engagement with local community leaders across Canada and increased student recruitment by 120%.[[/p]]

[[p]]The University of Waterloo based in Canada runs an incubator program called Velocity. The goal is to &ldquo;help students build companies with real-world impact&rdquo; and support those exploring entrepreneurship to turn an idea into an early-stage business..&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Velocity connects students with mentors from industry, investors, and resources to accelerate their projects and foster collaboration between students and industry partners.[[/p]]

[[p]]There&rsquo;s also a Velocity Science program designed for student teams and faculty-led teams who have an idea for a product with an element of biology, chemistry, or physics.[[/p]]

[[p]]For example, Michael Phillips and Phillip Cooper (below) founded Vena Medical in the final year of their undergraduate degree with support including Velocity Science. Their flagship product is the world&#39;s smallest camera that can go inside veins and arteries to help physicians treat stroke.[[/p]]

[[p]]East Tennessee State University offers students an opportunity to connect with industry partners.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Through its [[a href="https://www.etsu.edu/marketing/etsu-x.php" target="_blank"]]ETSU X program[[/a]], the university enables students to work with community partners to gain hands-on experience, cultivate career opportunities and have an impact in the community.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Through the program, students have the opportunity to work with companies like Creative Energy to get ad and marketing experience, Tennessee Hills Brewing and Distilling to learn about the brewing industry and chemical company Eastman to learn about creating materials using sustainable manufacturing processes.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The university also involves students in client-led projects and briefs, participates in digital marketing simulations and benefits from offering the certified program with [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/educators/accreditation?utm_source=organic&amp;utm_medium=organic_content&amp;utm_campaign=organic_blog_indirect_sep24" target="_blank"]]DMI [[/a]]to provide industry knowledge and practical experience.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Brown University&rsquo;s [[a href="https://www.brown.edu/academics/undergraduate/open-curriculum" target="_blank"]]Open Curriculum[[/a]] program, established in 1969, is a prime example of offering flexibility.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]It allows students to customize their course of study, so they can create an interdisciplinary pathway or fully specialize in a specific field.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]As one student put it - &ldquo;No two students take the same learning path even if they have the same concentration as everyone is able to arrange their field of study the way they see it.&rdquo;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The aim of the program is to push undergraduates to be &ldquo;deeply creative thinkers, intellectual risk-takers and entrepreneurial problem-solvers&rdquo;.[[/p]]

[[p]]UC Berkeley allows students to design their own major through the Interdisciplinary Studies Field Major (ISF) program.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]ISF offers students the unique opportunity to develop an individualized cross-disciplinary research program that includes a course of study and a senior thesis.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The learning goals of the program are:&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ol]]
	[[li]]Develop strong interdisciplinary research skills by exploring problems, themes, and issues related to social, cultural, technological, and historical transformations.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]]Acquire awareness of methodological approaches in the social sciences and/or humanities.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]]Expand critical reading, thinking, analytical, and technological skills.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Demonstrate organizational, argumentative, multilingual, and communicative skills.&nbsp;[[/li]]
[[/ol]]

[[p]]This flexibility lets students integrate courses from various disciplines based on their interests and career goals.[[/p]]

[[p]]The University of Texas offers certificates through its continuing education programs.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The UT System&rsquo;s Texas Credentials for the Future initiative gives students access to the Career Academy. This includes more than 35 professional certificates from companies such as Google, IBM, Microsoft and Salesforce.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Career Academy offers students the opportunity to explore a wide range of career paths, such as data analyst, UX designer, application developer and social media marketer. The certificates include hands-on projects and interactive assessments to apply skills in real-world scenarios and practice using workplace tools.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Aston University in Birmingham has developed a distinguished reputation for excellence in education, particularly in the fields of business, engineering, and health sciences.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]With the digital skills gap growing in the U.K. and the government calling for solutions, the university wanted to enhance its curriculum. In partnership with DMI, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/educators/partner-stories/aston-university?utm_source=organic&amp;utm_medium=organic_content&amp;utm_campaign=organic_blog_indirect_sep24" target="_blank"]]Aston University[[/a]] integrated cutting-edge digital marketing education into their business programs.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]With a range of over 16 short courses, these microcredentials in AI, Social Media, Data &amp; Analytics and more are high-demand skills that fit into their program and align with current industry trends.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]As a result, 90% of students reported having a positive experience on their degree and career prospects with the DMI certification.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Against the backdrop of global financial instability and falling enrollments, universities must prioritize graduates&rsquo; employability.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]With potential students questioning the value of a degree program, It&rsquo;s crucial that higher education institutions connect the dots between school interests, college options and career paths.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]&ldquo;Higher education has to figure out how to explain why what they&#39;re offering is better and how students can come out with a better job at the tail end of their experience with a two- and four-year degree,&rdquo; Chief Strategist at D2 Strategies Terrell Dunn told [[a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/meglittlereilly/2024/03/14/study-shows-college-enrollment-falling-with-perceptions-of-its-value/" target="_blank"]]Forbes[[/a]].[[/p]]

[[p]]The universities that will succeed are those that offer degree programs aligned with the skills employers want, leverage industry partnerships and show students how they can help them achieve their dream career.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]In such a competitive job market, educators need to offer opportunities for students to learn key skills (technical and professional) that boost their employability and enhance career prospects. We partner with universities and colleges to provide industry-recognized credentials - including a new AI course you can add to your curriculum - and professional skills that make your graduates job-ready. [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/educators/partner-stories/aston-university?utm_source=organic&amp;utm_medium=organic_content&amp;utm_campaign=organic_blog_indirect_sep24" target="_blank"]]Get in touch[[/a]] to find out how you can partner with us today![[/p]]

8 Strategies Universities Are Using to Boost Student Enrollment in 2024

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