140% year-over-year growth in number of online courses taken in the UK
Udemy sees massive growth in UK demand for skills-based online learning
Udemy, the global marketplace for learning and teaching, has recorded a 140% annual increase in the number of online courses being taken in the UK. Over 1.3 million Udemy courses have now been taken in the UK, with 830,000 taken in the last 12 months alone.
Launched in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco, Udemy offers more than 32,000 courses to students in 190 countries. Courses cover a whole range of subjects that help people get where they want to go in their careers and lives – from coding and design to yoga and cooking. The company is experiencing unprecedented growth in the UK – as of August 2015, 390,000 Brits had taken Udemy courses, with 200,000 new users over the last 12 months.
Udemy empowers everyday experts from all walks of life to create courses on topics they know and are passionate about. The marketplace model means courses are constantly being added as soon as new skills become relevant, and instructors can earn an income by sharing their knowledge and expertise with a global audience.
More than 18,000 instructors around the world offer the most sought-after, up-to-date business and technology skills as well as courses on personal development and hobbies. About 500 Brits published courses in the past 12 months, which is a 90% increase from the previous year. Udemy’s top 10 UK instructors have earned more than £2.2 million teaching topics ranging from programming to design to office productivity. The most popular course topics among UK students include web development, mobile applications, Photoshop, and photography.
Dennis Yang, Udemy’s CEO says: “In a world where every job requires an increasing number of skills, Udemy has created a marketplace that can power an almost infinite number of courses to help people shape their own futures. We believe in each individual’s limitless potential, and nothing should stand in the way of your aspirations to grow your skills.
“Udemy is accessible to people everywhere. Two-thirds of our students are outside the US and courses are offered in more than 80 languages. The fact that the UK is experiencing such fast growth reflects people’s desire for new types of learning that is flexible and on their own terms, and reinforces that learning new skills is critical for success.”
Udemy offers individuals a new way to learn for either work or pleasure and enables businesses to address critical skills gaps within teams. Udemy for Business offers companies a curated content subscription so teams can access up-to-date business courses on topics from development and design, to sales and leadership, as well as to curate their own proprietary training content. Udemy also has a partnership with reed.co.uk, the biggest job site in the UK, to make it easier for people to find courses on the skills they need to get their next job.
Udemy is privately owned and since launch in 2010 has attracted $113 million in funding from investors including Stripes Group, Norwest Venture Partners, Insight Venture Partners, Lightbank, MHS Capital, and Learn Capital. Udemy is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Dublin and Ankara, Turkey, employing a total of 200 people.
About Udemy
Udemy is an online education marketplace with over 8 million students. Our course content and instructor community are constantly growing, with more than 32,000 courses taught by 18,000 instructors. We offer students the ability to learn as they go and succeed on their own terms, while instructors have a way to share their knowledge with the world.
For companies, Udemy offers a subscription to our best business courses as well as an easy-to-use platform to create proprietary courses. Founded in 2010, Udemy is privately owned and funded by the Stripes Group, Norwest Venture Partners, Insight Venture Partners, Lightbank, MHS Capital, Learn Capital, among others. Udemy is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Dublin, Ireland, and Ankara, Turkey.