The covid pandemic left us with a different world, economically, socially and in so many other ways.

There are many factors at play, which have and will continue to impact the education industry (broadly). These factors include ongoing health issues, logistics and supply problems, war in Ukraine and climate change. Added to this, we have continuing technological change which has not slowed, despite the disruptions caused by these other factors. Increased volatility has thus become the norm in the wider world, and that includes the education industry.

Some of the impacts include:

• Online education is reportedly grown by around 900% since the start of covid. While some who have experience with online education have expanded; many others have become involved with delivering online, without being properly trained or experienced in the delicate differences between online and face to face education. Some new players have already crashed and burned. Others are learning and getting better. The state of play in online education is volatile and varied. Some online programs are very good and very stable, others are volatile and driven more by quick financial gain than by provision of quality education.
• Significant shortages, and sometimes critical shortages of skilled professionals have appeared in many industries. There is a shortage of tradespeople, health workers, and I.T. professionals in many countries. This issue may well have been brewing before covid and has only been exaggerated since. Some reports for instance, suggest that there are only enough computer programmers looking for work, to fill 10% of the jobs available (in Australia). These shortages are exaggerated by reduced skilled migration and by people leaving professions over covid. Many teachers for instance, found work outside of teaching over covid, during classroom lockdowns. Now we have fewer people in the workforce who have education experience.
• Ongoing risks of sickness is resulting in staff shortages in workplaces. Eg. When people get covid or the flu, a workplace may exclude them from coming to the workplace. Other workplaces that allow sick staff to come to work, can then find others get sick and stay away. Either way, the result is often there are fewer people at work than what was planned for.
• Financial pressures have been rising this year. Cost of providing an education service is increasing, and at the same time cost of living is increasing. Education businesses cannot  easily increase income, because clients cannot easily afford increased costs. With increased pressure on finding staff, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pay employees more in order to retain them. There is a financial crunch at play which is continuing to grow.

Has that emboldened us to take more risks, and try new things more often - because we have just become accustomed to everything changing fast anyway?