There has been a 6.3-fold increase in the number of students choosing to pursue online courses, marking a remarkable increase over the last five years.

These findings were reported by Internshala Training, the skilling engine of Internshala in its year-ender e-learning trends report for 2023.

According to the report, Web Development is the most sought-after skill course, with 16 per cent of the course enrollments. This is followed by Digital Marketing and Programme with Python, both at 8 per cent. Advanced Excel follows this at 5 per cent, which is then followed by Data Science and Machine Learning, both at 4 per cent. 

“These statistics reflect the diverse interests of students in fields including Engineering, Programming, Business Development, and Data Science,” Internshala Trainings says in a press release, reflecting on these trends.

The e-learning platform further notes that nearly half, that is 49 per cent of learners, signed up for online courses as a means to secure internships and future job opportunities. 

On the other hand, 32 per cent of them wanted to acquire new skills, while 11 per cent focused on obtaining certifications. 

The rest of the students enrolled in these courses for personal projects, and to meet college requirements. 

The learners further displayed a “high level of commitment, effective time management, and a genuine thirst for knowledge” required for the successful completion of self-paced courses, with a 51 per cent completion rate of courses in 2023. 

It was reported by Internshala Training that learners dedicated 43 minutes a day on average to their online training modules. 

Male learners made up 57 per cent of the enrollment base, according to the press release. This shows that the trend of enrolling in online skill training courses cuts across genders, as the enrollment figures showed that both men and women have actively participated in these courses. 

More notably, the 2023 e-learning trends showed that a majority of learners hailed from Tier II cities, forming 61.6 per cent of the learner base – surpassing 38.4 per cent of learners from Tier I cities.