Places to upskill without returning to formal study
The workforce is ever-changing, and with new ways of working comes the need to upskill. For those considering a career change, branching out into a new area or just want to ensure their skillset is relevant, there are other paths you can pursue before you look at heading back to uni.
Soft skills are applicable to most, if not all areas of employment — think communication, public speaking, conflict resolution or leadership. These are skills that all can be developed and mastered over time. There are some great websites that allow for rich development in these skills, as well as technical skills in particular software programs.
Udemy
Udemy is a hub of online training in soft skills. Over 100,000 cheap video courses are offered on the website, ranging from photography classes to confidence and self-esteem. If you are looking more personal development, you may find the mindfulness courses particularly helpful. Just been promoted and in charge of a team? Try the abundance of leadership courses available.
edX
edX is a culmination of many wonderful courses, coming from esteemed institutions such as Harvard University and MIT. They have some highly acclaimed courses on select skills such as writing and rhetoric — both fundamental attributes in any industry. There truly is a massive range of course types, varying in difficulty and specificity. The business introductory courses are particularly helpful and come from experts in the field.
LinkedIn Learning
Formally known as Lynda, the home of career profiles also provides a great amount of courses in business, technology and creative areas of learning. These can vary from basic Excel tutorials for any office worker to creativity bootcamps that seek to teach people how to positively contribute to their workplace and lives with fresh and interesting ideas. Their offering on software development is superb, but their left-field courses centring on having difficult conversations and self-organisation are also recommended.
Coursera
Coursera combines the best courses and degrees from numerous American universities such as Stanford, Duke and Michigan to facilitate the development of upskilling workers. Brush up on your grammar and earn a professional certificate, launch your career in data science with a specialisation from IBM or take a course in positive psychology. Learning is flexible with texts, quizzes and videos.