By Robert Iskander
When historians look back on this period, 2020 will be remembered as the year COVID changed everything.
In 2021 the world adapted to remote life and education, abandoning many long-held assumptions about how teaching and learning must be delivered. The phrase “That’s the way we’ve always done it” largely disappeared from educators’ vocabularies.
In 2022, three priorities emerged that will define education going forward: Skills Certifications, Security Compliance, and Student Data Privacy. Consider these the Big Three for education this year—areas that will shape policy, hiring, and classroom practice.
The rise of certifications
For students heading directly into careers—or for adults reskilling for new opportunities—skills certifications in Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science can be more practical and cost-effective than traditional four-year degrees. Major technology companies and learning platforms now offer focused certification paths that align closely with employer needs.
Programs from leading providers cover areas such as cloud computing, which shifts storage and services to internet-based infrastructure rather than local hardware. Analysts forecast that cloud services will take a larger share of enterprise IT spending over the next few years, underlining why cloud certifications are so valuable. Demand for cloud professionals is high, and compensation reflects that: recent industry reports show cloud specialists earning competitive salaries in North America. Popular certification programs can be affordable too, with many costing under a few hundred dollars and only a handful reaching into the low thousands.
2022 may be the year to capitalize on these trends. Cybersecurity alone faces a significant workforce deficit, and the need for qualified practitioners will only grow. At the same time, AI is maturing in education: over the next several years, expect AI-driven systems to support more authentic conversational learning, moving beyond rule-based courseware to sophisticated, Socratic-style tutors that adapt and guide students through complex inquiry.
The widening skills gap
A widening skills gap in technology is creating real challenges for education and the broader economy. Shortages of qualified workers raise several concerns:
- A lack of qualified talent makes it harder for organizations and nations to compete globally, putting future economic growth at risk.
- As ransomware and phishing attacks become more sophisticated, institutions need skilled technical staff to defend schools, infrastructure, and businesses.
- Growing attention to student data privacy increases demand for professionals who understand both technology and compliance.
- Technologies like AI, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) are spreading across industries—retail, healthcare, and education—driving demand for workers with hands-on technical skills.
- Many employers are dropping the traditional college-degree requirement and hiring based on demonstrable skills, often accepting recent high school graduates who have earned industry certifications.
Security is essential
Security has moved from a background concern to a central priority for education. In recent years the education sector has been a major target for ransomware attacks. Many school districts have experienced data encryption incidents, with significant costs and disruption. Average ransom payments and recovery expenses can be substantial, and attackers frequently threaten disclosure of sensitive personal and financial information to pressure institutions into paying.
To counter these threats, security compliance for IT systems and processes in schools and colleges is becoming mandatory at state and federal levels. As a result, many districts are shifting from on-premises servers to cloud infrastructure offered by major providers for improved security and resiliency. This migration helps reduce exposure and enables better centralized protections, monitoring, and backup strategies.
Data privacy compliance has likewise become non-negotiable for educational technology vendors. Beyond federal law, states are enacting their own requirements, and penalties increasingly attach personal liability to decision-makers. School leaders and district risk managers can no longer treat student data protection as optional; careless practices now carry real consequences.
Focusing on Skills Certifications, Security Compliance, and Student Data Privacy provides a clear framework for building stronger and more resilient education systems. These priorities offer significant opportunities for educators, administrators, vendors, and students alike. While COVID’s effects remain with us, the sector is adapting and finding smarter, safer ways to teach and learn.
About the author
Robert Iskander is a global business transformation leader focused on using technology to improve quality of life, with particular emphasis on K-12 education. He was named one of the Top 100 EdTech Influencers in 2017. Before becoming CEO at GG4L, Robert held leadership roles including General Manager for Sun Microsystems in the Middle East and Global Director of Education at Sun Microsystems (now Oracle). He also led SchoolMessenger, expanding its customer base to more than 63,000 schools in the U.S. and Canada.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media hub focused on providing context for the shift in education to digital curriculum.