Where you can find free digital skills training courses
WFP’s EMPACT digital livelihoods project has collected a list of free online courses to help you learn during COVID-19
By Elisa Molena
The global COVID-19 pandemic has pushed all of us to rethink the way we work and learn. Physical distancing and movement restrictions have made remote work, online learning and virtual workshops a daily reality for many people around the world.
For WFP’s EMPACT programme, a digital livelihoods project scaling up with the support of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, online learning is nothing new. Since 2016, EMPACT has been connecting young refugees and vulnerable host communities to the future of work through short, tailored digital skills training courses.
How?
First, EMPACT helps participants acquire digital and soft skills, enabling them to compete in the global digital economy.
Second, EMPACT connects participants to digital work opportunities, such as the gig economy, online marketplaces and digital entrepreneurship — accessible opportunities for anyone with digital skills, an internet connection and a laptop or mobile device.
EMPACT’s unique digital skills programme has already graduated more than 6,000 students across 12 campuses in Lebanon, Iraq and Kenya, helping them to build brighter futures and better livelihoods. EMPACT is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Google.
Since COVID-19 hit, EMPACT’s mission has become even more relevant. With physical distancing, mass layoffs and significantly disrupted labour markets, people need to think out of the box to guarantee their livelihoods.
Online learning can be an agent of change for many. Improving an existing skill, acquiring a new one and learning about new career opportunities empowers people and gives them the chance to make informed decisions about the future of their life and work.
That’s why the EMPACT team is sharing a list of some of the most valuable online digital skills learning materials and resources, for the beginner, intermediate and more advanced learner. These courses are all free and mostly self-paced: all you need is an internet connection, a device, curiosity and motivation.
Happy learning!
Courses for IT beginners:
- Entry Test for Typing Speed
- Microsoft Digital Literacy
- Future Learn English for the Workplace
- Google Write Using Online Research
Courses for intermediate learners:
- EdX Computer Science 101
- Coursera What is Data Science?
- Khan Academy What is Programming
- UNC-Chapel Hill Entrepreneurship 101
- University of Illinois Marketing in the Digital World
- Carnegie Mellon Introduction to Visual Design
Courses for advanced learners:
- Python Institute, Python Essentials
- GitHub Learn to Code
- MIT Creating Video Games
- Pixar & Khan Academy Introduction to Animation
- EdX Introduction to Cybersecurity
The WFP Innovation Accelerator sources, supports and scales high-potential solutions to end hunger worldwide. We provide WFP staff, entrepreneurs, start-ups, companies and non-governmental organizations with access to funding, mentorship, hands-on support and WFP operations.
Find out more about us: http://innovation.wfp.org
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