COVID-19 has seen a seismic shift, not only in how people work, but also the direction their career is taking. The impact of the pandemic has meant many have had change forced upon them, while for others, these unprecedented times have given them the push they needed to switch industries or to follow their dream and set up their own business. Research by Aviva found 60% of people wanting to make some career changes because of COVID-19 and that 87% of under-25’s wanting to re-evaluate their careers and change their work plans over the next year.
Understandable when you consider those in industries such as the performing arts and tourism which have been so negatively impacted by the double whammy of Brexit and COVID-19. For many there has been little choice but to look at a career change.
For some, returning to work has meant they’ve found themselves overworked due new ways of working and staff shortages, and are increasingly considering the option of re-training in a new career.
Whether looking to improve employability or start an entirely new career, the below is a list of fantastic free digital courses and training online to help you on your way. Check out our Digital Skills section for even more free online training resources.
LinkedIn identified the top 10 roles with the greatest number of job openings, that pay a liveable wage, and require skills that can be learned online. They have sections for each role with self-paced courses taught by industry experts so you learn relevant and applicable skills to start you on a new career path.
Develop your skills for free with learning paths from LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn, then practice tech skills in the GitHub Learning Lab.
Website: https://opportunity.linkedin.com/skills-for-in-demand-jobs
Google Online courses
Google offers a range of free learning content designed to help in your career, categories include Digital Marketing, Career Development and Data and Tech.
You can learn by selecting individual modules, or take an entire course end-to-end.
Website: https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/courses
Facebook Blueprint
Launch a career in social media with the Facebook Social Media Marketing certification. Developed in partnership with Coursera, Facebook have created alternative pathways and training programmes to help you kick-start a career in social media marketing.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/digital-skills-programs/facebook-job-seeker-program
Hubspot
Hubspot (Customer Relation Management (CRM) platform) has a free course exploring the foundations of the ‘inbound marketing’ methodology. Inbound marketing is the use of off-site methods such as blogs, podcasts, social media to direct people to their website.
Website: https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/inbound
Code Academy
Self-paced learning that promises to be interactive, hands-on learning designed for all levels and equips you with job-ready coding skills.
There is a paid for ‘Pro’ version but all basic courses are free.
Website: https://www.codecademy.com/
Find a Skills Bootcamp
Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks. Details of the courses and locations available to eligible adults including how to apply.
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-a-skills-bootcamp/list-of-skills-bootcamps