The 5 Best Free Online Courses in New Zealand
We hear that many of the jobs we do now won’t be around in the future (thanks to those pesky evil robots) and how jobs that don’t exist today will require workers in the future, i.e. space tour guide. A study by Mckinsey found that as many as 375 million workers worldwide will need to switch occupations and learn new skills by 2030. The world is changing at a rapid rate, and it's quite likely you will be required to change jobs or even careers at some point in your lifetime. Covid19 has meant that many people have been forced to look at other industries and the skills required to work in them. Online courses are one of the best ways to upskill and add some new strings to your bow.
Whether you want to become a web developer, hone your digital marketing skills or learn how to run a Facebook ad campaign, there are tons of courses available online to help you achieve your learning goals. The best thing is that many of these courses are free and you can do them in your own time and from the comfort of your home.
Here’s our pick of 5 free online courses that you can start today.
Facebook Blueprint
Chances are you have a Facebook account, and like me, you spend parts of your day aimlessly swiping up on your newsfeed, clicking on ads from your favourite clothing brands and fast food companies. I keep getting shown ads from McDonald’s….I wonder why? Regardless of what people might say, Facebook is here to stay, and the social media platform plays a crucial role in the marketing strategies of thousands of businesses worldwide. To help their many customers and users get the most out of the platform, Facebook has created their own learning platform, Facebook Blueprint. From designing an engaging Facebook ad to learning how to target the right customers, multiple courses are available to help you become a Facebook marketing expert.
Google Digital Garage
The internets favourite search engine. No, not Bing. Who even uses Bing? Anyway, we are talking about Google. There are more than 4 billion Google users worldwide. Now that’s a lot of users. Every day, people search on Google to find their next pair of shoes, see who the best mechanic in their area is, or ask what's the record for most big macs eaten in a single serving (the record is 32 in 38 minutes if you were wondering). Google offers 134 courses ranging from learning the fundamentals of digital marketing to understanding the basics of code. I reckon being an expert on reaching customers on the worlds most popular search engine would be a pretty useful skill to have. Google even gives you a certificate once you have completed their learning modules and taken the quiz. Check out Googles courses and take your pick of the ones that tickle your fancy the most. Or you can do all of them if you want to show everyone else up.
SEMrush Academy
SEMrush is one of the most effective tools a website owner can use. It is essentially a one-stop-shop to help you discover marketing insights and manage your SEO, PPC, Keyword research, and content marketing. It is used by over 6 million marketers worldwide. I'm personally a big fan of SEMrush Academy and have taken many of the courses myself! If you want to become an expert in any of the above services, SEMrush Academy is the perfect place for you. You can also become SEMrush certified by completing their courses, and this is a massive plus to have on your CV if you are thinking about a career in digital marketing.
Code Academy
Wish you could build your own website? Yeah, me too. When I think of coding, all that comes to mind is that crazy Matrix language on the computer screen, but it turns out “code” is actually not as hard as you think to learn. Code Academy has helped over 45 million people to learn how to code, so they have a pretty good idea of what they are doing. It doesn't matter if you have zero experience in web development, as that is exactly who their courses are created for. Web development is one of the most in-demand skills going around, and this demand will only increase as the world continues to move online. Not only that, but it is a very well paid profession. So if you want to build the next Facebook or maybe just your local cafes' website, then head over to Code Academy and start your coding journey today.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn, the worlds most popular professional networking platform, with more than 706 million users in 150 countries, has continued to develop its offering over the years into more than just a place where users can connect with other professionals and find jobs. LinkedIn Learning has now become a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to upskill and take online courses. There are more than 15,000 online courses to choose from, and similar to the other learning platforms we have covered in this post, you can gain certification on completion of the courses you take.
Whether you want to develop your personal skills and learn how to become a better leader or looking to gain more technical skills such as becoming an excel wizard, Linkedin Learning really does have a course for everybody. While LinkedIn Learning does require a paid subscription to access their courses ($20 per month), you can get a free first month when signing up to the platform, and they quite often have deals where they let you take courses for free. Definitely worth signing up for!
Now more than ever, it is important to keep yourself ahead of the game and to look at ways to improve your all-around skill set. Online courses are a great way to do this. Not only will they help you stand out in a competitive job market, but a lot of the courses are actually pretty fun. Hopefully, this list of 5 free online courses has given you the push you need to take the plunge and get learning.