Professional and personal development has never been as critical as it is right now. As a result of COVID19, the world of work is set to change massively and will force businesses to evolve at a faster rate than they could have possibly have imagined.
Skills gaps and the onset of Industry 4.0 have been talked about for years, but the Coronavirus pandemic is set to force unprecedented changes.
If you’re looking for a new role at the moment or considering what your career path might look like in the future right now is the perfect time to consider what skills you may need to develop.
To help you along the way, we’ve rounded up a range of free online resources to begin your learning journey.
The Open University
Offering over 900 free courses via its online platform OpenLearn you can choose to take bite-sized development courses which range from beginner introductions to learning right through to advanced development.
Covering a range of sectors including Science, Maths and Technology, Languages, Money and business and many more, there is an abundance of individual courses which will help you enhance existing skills and develop new ones.
Some of the stand out courses relevant to the majority of job roles include:
Upon completion, you are provided with a ‘Statement of Participation’, allowing you to evidence your learning.
LinkedIn Learning
If you have a premium LinkedIn account, you can take advantage of LinkedIn learning at any time. If you don’t, then sign up for a 30-day free trial.
While a lot of the courses are focused on tech, digital and marketing roles, there is a wide range of business-specific classes too. From learning how to build a product roadmap, to motivating your team to learn and even, how to be promotable, there is something to meet all learning needs.
An added benefit of LinkedIn learning is that you can also choose to display your completed courses on your LinkedIn profile, allowing you to demonstrate your commitment to personal development.
Udemy
Although not usually free, Udemy has released a collection of over 150 free courses. These include programmes such as helping learners adapt to working from home and even searching for a job. For managers, you might find their course on leading a remote workforce useful!
However, if you’re looking for something a little different, they have everything from Astronomy to teaching your kids to code.
Skillshare
Currently offering two months free access, Skillshare has a range of classes covering a variety of business and personal development topics. Still, it also extends to fun courses that you might like to undertake ‘just because’. These unique activities always look good on your CV and are great to have in your back pocket when the interview question ‘tell us something we don’t know about you’ comes up.
Skillshare classes focus more on interaction rather than lecturing, with many users updating and posting regularly. Available both online and via an app, Skillshare makes learning easily accessible.
Marketing & Digital Sectors
If you work in a creative, sales or marketing role or are looking to get into the industry, there are a significant number of free resources at your disposal. From Google’s Analytics Academy and Digital Garage to Hootsuite and Hubspot, you have all you need to develop your digital analytic skills, through to understanding the basics of SEO, marketing automation and social media marketing.
Podcasts
Podcasts are an often overlooked resource when it comes to self-development. Perfect for listening to on the commute, or even just around the house, they are a great way to enhance personal development and learn industry-specific knowledge.
While you can access a range of podcasts through Apple and Google, The Manufacturer has listed their most listened to podcasts in 2019, while SME.org also has a vast array of podcasts covering a variety of topics across manufacturing, engineering, aerospace and many more.
At Expion, we’d love to hear what you’re learning right now or if you have any other resource recommendations. Tweet us @expionUK.