The job market in the UK is truly booming. With employment at an all time high and competition for jobs fiercer than ever, it’s essential for potential employees to have the right skills and qualifications.
There are 24,000 more job opportunities for workers than last year, which is hugely encouraging for those already in or about to enter the world of work. However, with employers keener than ever to recruit and retain the best talent to steer their businesses through potentially turbulent times, landing that dream job can be a struggle.
In order to stand out from the crowd and climb the career ladder as quickly and successfully as possible, having a solid and varied skillset is vital. However, the unfortunate reality is that such qualifications can often carry hefty price tags, making them out of reach for many.
That’s where finance comes in. Traditionally the reserve of the retail sector, enabling people to spread the cost of washing machines, mobile phones and sofas, for example, consumer finance is now rapidly expanding into other markets, with education and training providers in particular realising its benefits.
At Deko, we work alongside some of the UK’s biggest training providers to help them offer finance to customers, improving access to their courses, helping to propel people’s careers and growing enrolment levels and sales in the process.
Having had a strong presence in this sector for 6 years we understand its customers and the challenges of course delivery. We have used this data to develop a best-in-class solution to boost conversion rate, while ensuring that course fees are received upfront to help with cash flow.
It’s this industry insight, and our market-leading technology, that scored us top marks for our work with the Learning People – experts in offering tech careers through online learning, specialising in project management, coding, IT, cyber security and digital marketing. The company is a respected leader in the market and is accredited by HMRC and The Learning Performance Institute. However, this shining reputation doesn’t mean the Learning People are immune to the sector-wide issue of dwindling conversion, so it actively promotes finance options to new and existing students.
Since working with Deko to provide consumer credit solutions, revenue for the Learning People has increased by 34%, and 41% of overall income is processed with finance. Their team of career consultants has grown by a third and application abandonment has reduced by 67%.
As training remains a priority for those looking for employment across all sectors, finance should sit at the top of providers’ agendas and is likely to be offered as standard as more businesses recognise its potential. If it’s already an option, then consider how it could work harder for you, and if it’s not, ask yourself why not!
When we surveyed consumers who have purchased through Deko, 65 per cent said they only did so because finance was available, so if you don’t currently give potential students the option of splitting the cost of training, you could be missing out on a significant amount of business.
There’s no time like the present to accelerate enrolment, so get in touch and let Deko give you a schooling in finance.