How Hyper Island’s Courses Are Helping Professionals Stay Ahead

With years of experience in vocational higher education (YH), Erika brings both strategic insight and lived experience into her work developing upskill programs.

“Designing upskill courses is really about talking to the industry, understanding what skills they’re missing, and shaping the courses based on those actual needs,” she explains.

Having once been a student in a YH program herself — Medical Technology Sales — and having completed an upskill course in Digital Sales, Erika knows the learner’s perspective firsthand.

“That perspective helps me keep the learner experience front and center when developing courses.”

According to Erika, up-skilling is quickly becoming one of the key factors people consider when choosing an employer – and one of the main reasons they choose to stay.

“Several surveys – including LinkedIn Learning – show that opportunities for personal development are a top priority. At the same time, we live in a rapidly changing world. Things move fast, and you have to keep up,” Erika explains.

Since these courses are part of Sweden’s higher vocational education system (Yrkeshögskolan), they are tuition-free and CSN-approved for eligible participants – making them both accessible and high-quality. They’re designed to fit alongside your current job, allowing you to grow professionally without having to step away from your role.

For employers, they offer a chance to strengthen both competence and retention.

Our upskill courses are shaped through real conversations with industry professionals, alumni, and partners.

“We stay very close to the industry. We attend fairs, seminars, and maintain active dialogue with our internship partners and alumni,” Erika says. “We ask: What skills are you missing? What areas would benefit from targeted upskilling?”

In addition to these direct conversations, the team continuously monitors labor market shifts, emerging technologies, and global trends – ensuring the programs remain relevant for today’s and tomorrow’s workplace challenges.

Hyper Island currently offers several part-time upskill courses – all designed to be flexible enough to fit alongside work, family life, or other responsibilities. The courses vary in length, but typically run at 50% pace with live online sessions and hands-on assignments that can be applied directly in your professional context.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the available courses:

• UX Design
   
  Focus: Human-centered design, prototyping, user testing  
  Ideal for: Designers, PMs, developers
  
  
• Data Analytics
  
  Focus: Customer insight, data storytelling, analytics for business  
  Ideal for: Analysts, marketers, managers
  
  
• Business Development
  
  Focus: Growth strategy, digital transformation, value creation
  Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, sales leads, team managers
  
  
• Sustainability Change Leadership
  
  Focus: Driving sustainable transformation in organisations
  Ideal for: Project leads, change managers
  
  
• Circular Service Design
  
  Focus: Circular economy, systems thinking, service prototyping
  Ideal for: Designers, service innovators
  
  
• Emerging Tech for Creatives
  
  Focus: AI tools, creative tech, future applications
  Ideal for: Creatives, innovators, technologists
  
  
• Future Scenarios
  
  Focus: Strategic foresight, long-term thinking, future mapping
  Ideal for: Innovation leads, strategists

These courses aren’t for beginners – they’re for professionals looking to sharpen their skills, grow into new roles, or respond to changes in their industry.

“Participants come from all kinds of organisations – large companies, small startups, public authorities, municipalities,” Erika shares. “To join, you need to meet the course’s entry requirements. This is about building on what you already know.”

On average, learners are mid-career professionals with at least two years of relevant experience and a strong drive to evolve.

Participants consistently highlight how Hyper Island’s upskill courses offer more than just theory – they provide practical tools that can be applied immediately in the workplace. Erika explains that many learners value how closely the course content mirrors the challenges and demands they face on the job today.

The format plays a big part in this. With a 50% pace and live, collaborative online sessions, the courses are designed to be combined with work, family, or other responsibilities. Along the way, participants build new professional relationships that often extend beyond the course itself.

“You get to meet and learn from industry colleagues you might not otherwise cross paths with,” Erika notes.

Despite their strong impact, many professionals still don’t realise that these courses exist – or that they’re CSN-approved and tuition-free for eligible participants. That’s something Erika hopes will change.

She sees continuous development as essential, not just for personal growth, but also for building resilient, future-ready organisations. Whether learners want to shift roles, gain confidence, or stay aligned with industry trends, these courses offer a clear and accessible path forward.

In a world that won’t stop moving, the best thing you can do is keep learning. Because when you invest in your own growth, you don’t just adapt – you lead the change.