When people in the future look back on the pandemic that happened in 2020, they will almost certainly have a lot of questions about how the education sector responded. As governments put in place lockdowns and businesses rushed to set up ways for employees to work from home, schools, universities, and other places of learning around the world had to figure out how to meet the basic needs of students who couldn’t even leave their homes, let alone go to class.
Based on an OECD study, 1.5 billion kids in 188 countries were not able to go to school in person during the first year of the pandemic1. Between 2020 and 20222, UNICEF says that more than half of the school days for about 147 million children were missed. There are still 1.23 million fewer first-year college students in the U.S. this year than there were before the pandemic3.
Even though it was hard, those students may one day see the pandemic as a turning point for the better in the education field.
While businesses and other organizations have been adapting for a long time to fast-paced technology and workplace changes, critics say that education providers are still stuck in old ways of teaching and running the school. They say that many teachers haven’t kept up with modern changes fast enough, like using old-fashioned ways to handle enrollment and making test papers that take a lot of time. Instead, they say, teachers should focus on the three Es: education, entrepreneurship, and employment, as well as the three Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The Business of Education
One good thing about the pandemic is that it made many schools rethink how they teach and do business. The education sector is romanticized by phrases like “learning for life” and “it takes a village to raise a child.” But in fact, it faces the same problems and corporate pressures as any other multibillion-dollar sector. It’s getting harder and harder to run educational programs because of things like falling enrollment, budget cuts, and a lack of technology access.
Some say that competition in higher education isn’t just between people and countries anymore; it’s at the institutional level too, creating a multi-level form of competition that turns colleges into competitors. When faced with problems like these, it’s not a surprise that more and more schools are using a tried-and-true method to ease the stress.
Now, because of a pandemic that changed the rules of engagement, public and non-profit schools and universities in the United States pay outsourcing companies tens of billions of dollars every year to help them. According to one study, 300 new deals were made between universities and outside online program managers in the first year of the pandemic. This is 79% more than the previous year, which is a good reason why many others are now going in the same direction.
The Potential of Third Wave Outsourcing in Education
When schools, colleges, or other places that teach work with outside providers or contractors to handle some of their administrative or educational needs, this is called outsourcing education services. Good outsourcing companies can give you whole teams or just the people you need for certain jobs, like online tutors, teaching helpers, admissions officers, or student enrollment officers. Innovation and technology are very important in today’s education, so the field is a good fit for outsourcing and can benefit from getting better, more professional, and cheaper services.
What are some examples of education options that are outsourced?
Because modern schools are basically companies, they are perfect for using the many types of outside help that are available.
1. Student fee management
Forward-thinking schools are always looking for better ways to run their businesses, and for many leaders, outsourcing is at the top of the list. Offshore providers with access to highly educated people with experience in administration can help with the boring and time-consuming tasks of managing student fees, like collecting fees, setting up payment plans, and giving discounts. This frees up onshore staff to focus on more important tasks.
2. Admissions
Many colleges and universities that cut back on administrative staff during the pandemic are now having a hard time finding enough people to handle the strict admissions process. Luckily, outsourcing is a flexible way for them to lower the work of their remaining admissions staff at a price they can afford. By handling more applications at a lower cost per application, the schools can not only meet demand but also find new students in other places.
3. Specialized Learning Tools
There is no question that specialized learning tools are a growing market. Outsourcing companies are taking advantage of the sector’s need for outside help to use resources and knowledge to make the creation and delivery of learning programs more efficient and effective. This is a reliable and inexpensive way to improve courses, programs, and degrees. It includes everything from making material and managing vendors to measuring and analyzing results.
Why should schools outsource?
It has been found that 45% of global companies plan to outsource more because of the pandemic. But the reasons they do this are very different, and many education providers are interested in more than one of the perks.
1. Access the Best Talent Worldwide
A lack of workers has made hiring a pain for many businesses over the past few years, and that problem doesn’t look like it will go away any time soon. Quality offshore companies put a lot of money into building up large talent pools so that clients can hire outsourced workers with particular skills and traits at a price they can afford. When you outsource, you can also hire people from around the world. For example, the Philippines is known for having highly educated and passionate workers, as well as high-quality technology and internet connections that make online work easy.
2. Scalability
Scaling without any problems is important because education is a field that is always changing, and staffing needs are directly related to the amount of students. By outsourcing, businesses can change the amount of administrative help they get without having to deal with the stress of hiring and firing people. Partnering with an outsourcing provider gives you the freedom you need without having to hire a whole team that you may not need in the future.
3. No More Onboarding and Training
When schools work with an outsourcing service, they don’t have to deal with the problems that come with onboarding and training. Outsourcing partners know how to help new employees get started and keep them up to date on new processes and requirements because they are in the business of managing staff. They can continue to do what their onshore educational institution needs them to do.
4. Cost Savings
The main reason people outsource is to save money, which is a really good reason. Companies can save up to 70% on labor costs by outsourcing to places like the Philippines, where the cost of living is cheaper. They also don’t have to pay extra for things like office and digital infrastructure. Because of tight budgets and more competition, outsourcing is an easy but very effective way to save money on one area (like labor) and put it toward things that will help students and teachers more.
How should I go about outsourcing my schooling services?
You should never be in a hurry to choose a foreign partner. There are many good things about outsourcing, but schools will only get those good things if they take the time to find the right service.
As expected for an industry that is growing, there are a lot of outsourcing companies that want to get into the education field. However, not all of them will do the industry justice. A lot of people will give you great service, but you need to take the time to find them. Check out their technical skills and experience, and look for reviews and recommendations that come from real people. It’s never a good idea to sign a contract with the first outsourcing company you come across. This is especially true when there are so many good companies waiting to show their worth.
Conclusion
This is a very exciting time for schools. There is a sense of revolution in the air because of online learning, changes in technology, and new ways of teaching. This includes how they handle their staff. Many schools, colleges, and teaching facilities have found that working with good outsourcing companies has changed the game. This will likely continue as more people learn how much time, money, and resources it can save.
Most business leaders now see the value in both outsourcing and subcontracting, but they are not the same thing. You can choose the best one for your business by learning how they work, what their benefits are, and how they are different.
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