More interest reported at career-focused colleges and universities, as people scramble for new skills – Union Leader
With unemployment still high in New Hampshire and across the country, more people are thinking about going back to school.
Southern New Hampshire University President Paul LeBlanc said he is reminded of the years after the 2008 financial crisis.
“This is very reminiscent of 2009, 2010, the last recession, when you have a lot of unemployment,” LeBlanc said.
People who are out of work want to finish degrees, get certifications and learn new skills, he said, so they can get new, better jobs.
“We’re seeing this across the sector. You’re even seeing it in things like Masterclass” online classes. “Their subscriptions have shot up.”
Compared to this time last year, SNHU is receiving about 25% more inquiries about enrolling.
“We know we’ll see an increase in enrollments in the summer, and we expect a substantial increase in September,” LeBlanc said. “One of the things we learned the hard way, back in 2010, is you have to hire ahead of the curve.”
The university is bringing on about 200 people to work in its admissions department. Some of those jobs will be in New Hampshire. Others will be in an Arizona call center the university runs. LeBlanc said others might be remote jobs.