If you speak to any tech professional, they will most likely tell you they are constantly learning and making sure their skills are up-to-date.
Short courses are very effective for upskilling and reskilling, and the good thing is they can be done online – either in a learner’s spare time or as part of their work day. Many employers encourage workers to keep learning to keep their tech skills fresh.
Whether you are a software developer hoping to hone your programming skills or a business owner who wants to brush up on cybersecurity, there are loads of courses out there.
Here are some good websites and resources to find short, or long, tech courses.
Code Institute
The clue is in the name. Dublin-headquartered Code Institute is a great online resource for anyone interested in improving or learning coding from scratch.
It offers a one-year part-time university credit-rated diploma in full stack software development.
For more casual learners, there’s the five-day coding challenge. This one is self-paced, free and offers bootcamp training in the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It’s a good one to do if you think you might want to go on and do the diploma course but don’t have any coding experience.
Code Institute is well respected, and it works with UK and European colleges. The website also has useful information and resources for career changers and people who want to get hired fast.
Coursera
Coursera was set up by two computer scientists from Stanford University. The global platform has thousands of courses on all kinds of subjects and for all levels, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
You can do anything from an online bachelor’s in computer science from the University of London to a master’s in applied data science from the University of Michigan.
Coursera also has what it calls “MasterTrack Certificates” that enable learners to obtain short course qualifications in a subject of their choosing.
Kenzie Academy
A smaller online learning operation than some of the bigger names on this list, Kenzie Academy offers a couple of different programmes in areas such as cybersecurity, coding and UX design.
Learners can choose from free courses or they can pay for longer certificate programmes.
According to its website, the programmes “aren’t easy, but they also aren’t out of reach for dedicated learners.”
Learners get support from the academy’s team as they work their way through the courses.
LearnUpon
LearnUpon is an Irish e-learning platform that helps companies manage how they deliver learning and development programmes.
It’s used by the likes of Zendesk, Logitech, Twilio and more. LearnUpon integrates with many other workplace tools such as Stripe, Salesforce, Zoom and Intercom.
It has a lot of different resources and features to help businesses track their employee training needs, and for that reason it’s more for enterprises than individuals.
LinkedIn Learning
After you complete a LinkedIn Learning course you get a badge that you can display on your LinkedIn profile. The courses aren’t accredited but they are taught by skilled and carefully vetted instructors.
Doing a course or two through LinkedIn Learning is a good way to boost your profile on the site if you want to be considered for a certain job.
While you can’t interact with tutors, the courses do set assignments and targets so you will be able to test yourself on things you’ve learned.
Pluralsight
Unlike some on this list, Pluralsight is aimed specifically at techies. It calls itself “the technology workforce development company.”
Like LearnUpon, it has some talent management tools for enterprises wanting to get the best out of their teams, but it has also got thousands of courses and learning plans geared towards individuals.
Skillshare
Skillshare is a good bet if you like having the support of other learners. It really emphasises the collaborative and social elements of learning – even though it’s an online platform.
As well as posting your assignments up on the platform, you can like other people’s work, provide feedback and ask questions. This may not be everyone’s idea of helpful, but it could really benefit some.
You can do courses in everything from music and crafts to graphic design and UI/UX skills. It’s best for tech skills pertaining to the creative sector.
Udacity
Udacity’s platform caters to governments as well as enterprises and individuals. Its tech-focused courses are developed in tandem with companies like Accenture, GitHub, Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon.
Udacity’s ‘schools’ include AI, cybersecurity, data science, cloud computing and programming. All its courses include technical mentor support, practical projects and career guidance services.
Like most on this list, the courses are flexible and can be completed in a learner’s own time.
Udemy
The online learning platform has been mentioned plenty of times in SiliconRepublic.com’s advice pieces for getting to grips with various coding languages.
There’s a lot on Udemy, but type what you’re looking for into the search bar and you’ll find everything from cybersecurity to productivity courses. Like other sites on this list, it’s up to you how much you want to spend – some courses are expensive, but you can nab great bargains on Udemy which is why it’s a good resource for short courses.
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