Online learning: Why is Serbia trotting behind Europe?

Online education in Europe and the world is gaining more and more momentum, whether it is about learning foreign languages, using programs or something else. On average, about 18 percent of citizens Of the European Union knowledge is acquired online.

Analysis of the Tailor's School and Infostuda shows that in Serbia in 2024, close to 11 percent of Serbian citizens attended an online course.

At the same time, the fact that even 40 percent of employees expressed a desire to improve, but that they are prevented from doing so by family obligations, working hours or the costs of courses, is worrying. In other words, the will is there, but the obstacles are too great.

Investing in knowledge

"Nevertheless, the situation looks different when we look at employers. Analysis of company profiles on the website 'Jobs Infostud' shows that as many as 82 percent of companies emphasize education and professional development as a benefit for their employees," reads the announcement of "Infostud".

This means that investing in knowledge is among the most common benefits that employers use to attract and retain quality staff - ahead of team building or even private health insurance.

Medium and large companies that employ highly qualified workers stand out the most, because it is with them that education and conferences occupy a key place.

This is precisely where the space opens up for online courses to represent a merger between the desire of employees to improve and the willingness of companies to enable them to do so.

The flexibility of learning from home or the office, availability on the phone and a lower price compared to traditional educational methods overcome the barriers that employees in Serbia have today.

Although Serbia currently lags behind the European average when it comes to individual online learning, at the same time some companies are sending a different message, so they can represent drivers of labor market development in the coming years.