How to create an online university of real professions: case study by Choice31

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In the last few years, we can see how the Ukrainian market is actively growing and developing. However, despite the overheating demand for specialists in some of its areas, the issue of selection of quality workers of classical and non-classical professions remains relevant.

The problem of recruiting professionals is not new; it is spoken of as an established tradition that precedes the creation of a full-fledged strong team. For example, if we talk about Netpeak Group — and the company has been on the market for 15 years — it now holds about 1,600 interviews a month, and only 2% of them reach the finals and receive offers. These figures apply to the entire market, where to grow professional staff within the company means to create a pool of professionals with a wide range of skills and competencies.

In April 2021, when we, together with Artem Borodatyuk, the founder of Netpeak Group, estimated that in 15 years of existence, the company had grown to more than 2,000 specialists, the creation of an online university was a logical decision. To provide the specialist with the necessary education, after which we would take it 100% in another direction to get closer to our mission “from the third world to the first” and create a company where every company can find a candidate with a relevant request.

What could be better?

It is as simple a choice that we have chosen to follow this path as the choice to change the lives that our future students face. Today, a month after the launch of the company, we have more than 1,000 applications from prospective students who have passed free testing and are ready to invest time and resources in their future profession or improve hard and soft skills.

We see that we have chosen the right path — with us students who are ready to change themselves and their lives through a profession and not just listen to the course. And with us students, who are definitely ready to take risks, change themselves, and gain real methodological and practical knowledge, not just educational content.

We see value in and focus on ourselves — through Netpeak Group, we understand the market of professions, form methodology out of information, and focus on which professionals are in demand. And product specialists of courses and specialties help to select the best lecturers with knowledge of real cases and practical skills. Therefore, we already have full development of 3 professions — PPC-, ASO- and SEO-specialists, where we can give the necessary market knowledge from scratch and grow to a junior position. Such skills require daily initiation, a lot of practice, and deep immersion of students.

We also offer courses to acquire additional skills in professions that help professionals expand their knowledge and skills needed in any field

B2B sales;
B2B marketing;
conflict-free communication for managers;
business English

and unexpectedly a complete leader of requests from employers and managers — Google Spreadsheets.

Yeah, before creating courses, we must analyze the needs of the market — conduct surveys with other companies and HR managers, analyze vacancies and resumes in the market, compare real needs and proposals. And we test different learning formats — for example, theoretical lessons last an average of 18 minutes because it is scientifically proven that this is the time during which the brain is able to absorb information.

Our main task is to close the demand for real professions, not their classic outdated variations, to develop motivated students who are not looking for a magic pill — but look soberly at their future.

That is, they understand that they want to move in the direction of the profession to their liking, they are interested in enjoying work, and they choose the opportunity to change the profession at any age — learn, develop, structure and practice.

For our part, we provide what you can move and develop in your career, accompanied by our basic principles of care, sincerity, personal communication and feedback, and the absence of any elements of “info business”. This is our choice to create Choice31 and create knowledge. And the same choice we give to our students, partners, and lectors.

Evgeniya Glizer, CEO and co-founder of Choice31