Aug 7th 09 Posted by Brenda Harms in Adult Students, Featured Articles

The Increasingly Cluttered Landscape of Adult Student Recruitment

Last week Stamats held their 12th annual Integrated Marketing Conference in Chicago. It was a great event with perhaps one of the best opportunities being 45-minute consultations for participants with a Stamats consultant. I had the pleasure of speaking with a number of individuals who were interested in discussing what I am calling the highly competitive, highly cluttered landscape of adult student recruiting.

As I listened to the concerns, the number of competitors, the inability to bring in the same numbers as years past – or even to increase numbers, I was struck by one thing. All of these programs are being asked to operate on minimal resources, both human and financial, in a marketplace that has shifted significantly in the last 10 years.

Gone are the days of being the “only game in town” for adult students. With the ever increasing number of on ground and online competitors, that advantage exists for very few any more. The key issue was really pinned down by a school and a program who I respect greatly in the adult student market. The point was that it used to be enough to be convenient, flexible, and affordable – but it no longer sets you apart.

So what is the next point of differentiation for adult programs? Check back and we will explore some thoughts on this topic in my next posts.

Photo by swimfreak000