15 May Are EdTech Careers Still on The Rise?

Ever since COVID-19 created more remote working and learning experiences two years ago, careers in education technology, or EdTech for short, have seen a dramatic increase. Online education had already been an integrated part of the education system with many colleges and even high schools offering hybrid, distance-learning and online classes for their students. Today, many companies and educational institutions have started to roll out and execute their plans to return to the office and classrooms, respectively. However, many companies and schools have decided to keep at least some sort of distanced or hybrid environment for teaching and working. Will this keep EdTech careers on a steady rise? Will EdTech roles still be a viable option for new job seekers or those looking to make a transition within the field? In this article, we’ll look at some of the biggest factors in EdTech job growth and why finding a future career in educational technology could still be a great opportunity.

What is EdTech?

Educational technology, or EdTech, is where teaching and technology intersect. Depending on the purpose, EdTech can take several different forms inside and out of the classroom, including things like educational apps and games, video conferencing software, online discussion forums, and learning management systems that offer educational content for students or those looking to advance in their career. Some social media platforms can serve an educational purpose, such as Facebook groups that are specific to a course or particular subject.

When it is utilized properly, EdTech makes learning and teaching more accessible, more fun, and more memorable. This helps lead to better student engagement and has shown to improve preparedness for their future careers. Along with benefitting students in K-12 and college, EdTech has also shown to be beneficial for teachers, administrators, and families alike.

Are there downsides to EdTech?

As with most educational programs, there are pros and cons. Technical issues are one of the biggest drawbacks of using the systems, but that can also happen in any setting. Poor Wi-Fi connections, audio and video distortion, download or upload issues, slow internet speed, incompatible apps, updates, and lost passwords are some of the other issues that EdTech users and teachers can face.

Additionally, some programs can end up having an effect on student engagement. When programs are too difficult to use and there is little to no social support from their peers, students can become overwhelmed and give up or even skip assignments. While these issues do exist, most of them can be overcome by educators.

The Benefits of Using EdTech

Despite having a few downfalls, EdTech offers great benefits to students, educators, and parents. Here are some of the biggest benefits of using EdTech:

• By using it, EdTech helps students increase their level of technological literacy
• EdTech makes it easier to learn how to research topics more effectively
• Parents can have more involvement in their child’s education, which can have a major impact during the crucial development stages of education
• Students get alerts and reminders about assignments and projects, helping them keep on track.
• Students can learn and work at their own pace without effecting the flow of the rest of the class. Students can work as fast or as slow as they choose.
• Grading automation makes it easier and faster for teachers to score assignments from students
• Cloud storage makes it easier for educators to securely store and organize projects and data like course material and assignments
• The language barrier has become smaller with translation being easier and faster online. This also helps learning environments become more inclusive for English Language Learners.
• Because of the digital platform, educational institutions help reduce their total carbon footprint and reduce printing costs because of paperless assignments
• Educators can find lesson plans, curriculum, teaching tools, and course materials online or in the app market

With all these benefits, it’s easy to see where a career in EdTech can make a big impact in our current education system and why EdTech careers could be in high demand going forward, despite the mass return to in-person education and work. The main question remains, however: are EdTech jobs still on the rise? And if they are, what are the best resources to find a solid career in the field?

Are EdTech Jobs Still on the Rise?

The EdTech industry is one of the more robust industries and it’s still growing at a very high rate. According to experts, the nearly $76 billion industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 18.1 percent from 2020 to 2027. This is a great sign for people looking to get into the industry and an even better sign given the return to in-person education and work environments. More EdTech companies are creating an impact on the job market and in the digital learning space. More opportunities for online learning and online tutoring can create a need for higher quality digital products in the education sector. Experts that have heavily researched the industry have also pointed out that there is going to be a tremendous shift from the conventional learning experience to a more personalized and interactive learning approach.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t provide specific projections for the industry, but it does expect the job growth to be “faster than average” with a growth of 11 percent and adding over half a million new jobs from 2019 to 2029. What this tells us is that EdTech job opportunities are still very much on the rise and in demand for those looking to get into the industry or make a career change into an EdTech role.

There are numerous careers in education technology that vary from teacher to technology, leaving plenty of opportunities for finding the right career fit. It’s a very versatile and lucrative field to get in to. Here are some of the top career paths in the industry:

• Course Designer
• Education Software Engineer
• Teacher
• Educational Technologist

Career Resources to find Jobs in EdTech

Below are some fantastic resources to find your career path in the EdTech industry:

• EdSurge –EdSurge covers news and development in educational technology, as well as providing a job board for available jobs
• Hack Education –Hack Education posts tips, articles, and trends for job seekers
• LinkedIn –LinkedIn is the ultimate resource for networking and job seekers to find EdTech jobs
• Scion Technology Staffing –Scion Technology Staffing offers both temporary staffing and permanent placement services for EdTech job seekers

Scion Technology can Help You Land a Job in Education Technology

Whether you’re a new job seeker looking to break into the industry, looking for a temporary job in the EdTech industry, or looking to make a career change, Scion Technology has industry-expert recruiters that can help you land your dream role in education technology. At Scion Technology we provide an efficient and effective recruitment partnership and EdTech staffing and recruiting for education technology corporations, universities, schools, educational organizations as well as related entities. Our extensive national recruitment team has connections to an extensive national talent pool, which we strategically use to connect organizations with top contract talent in education and technology. Contact us today to get started or visit our website to view our open positions and see if there is a fit for you!