As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the world, governments and authorities are scrambling to figure out how to get the situation under control. In their attempt to curb the spread, authorities around the globe have imposed restrictions that have disrupted daily routines for billions.
These unprecedented times have left millions of people around the globe jobless, especially the gig workers. As per a recent report by Tribune, Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning has estimated that 12.3 million to 18.5 million people in the country are expected to lose their jobs. On top of this, the country’s economy will sustain Rs. 2 trillion to Rs. 2.5 trillion losses within three months due to the ongoing pandemic.
Currently, millions of unemployed people are stuck at home with nothing productive to do. Hence, an increasing number of people are using this time in quarantine to build their skillset. This has caused an upsurge in enrolments on online learning platforms such as edX, FutureLearn, Coursera, etc. Coursera has seen an eightfold increase in online course enrolments since the start of the pandemic.
If you are looking to embark on self-improvement as the countrywide lockdown progresses, you might want to check out the free courses being offered by these renowned platforms.
Future Learn
Future Learn offers a diverse selection of courses from the leading cultural institutions and universities around the globe, including King’s College London, University of Oslo, and Monash University.
The platform offers more than 400 free short courses such as flight mechanics, understanding ADHD, football: more than a game and sustainable development, etc. Moreover, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform is offering 16 Free Certificate Courses till 30th June. These courses typically cost $30 to $85 each. You can also visit their blog for more information.
Coursera
Coursera, to help the housebound masses, has made 3,800 of its courses available for free to people unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The enrollment is open through 30th September and students will have till 31st December 2020 to complete their courses.
Additionally, the platform has announced 85 free certification courses (previously paid) from universities such as Duke, Caltech, and Georgia Tech. Initially, each course costs about $50.
Udacity
Udacity, one of the pioneers in the world of MOOCs, has announced 10,000 cloud scholarships. The ones who qualify for the scholarship will get a free spot in Udacity’s upcoming Hybrid Cloud Nanodegree. The applications are currently open.
Other than this, Udacity also offers plenty of beginner-level courses for free. The courses mainly cover topics, including AI, programming, and autonomous systems.
Udemy
Udemy is another famous MOOC helping people become a better version of themselves as they are stuck at home. The platform has announced 700+ free courses on topics including tech, leadership, and language.
All you have to do is sign up on the platform, and you will have access to 700 free courses on a variety of topics. Moreover, Udemy has a rich blog that will help you in finding the right courses to enroll in.
Harvard University
Although not pandemic specific, Harvard has an extensive list of courses that are being offered for free. These courses include free videotaped lectures by renowned Harvard professors. The main genres being covered are Programming, Business, Health & Medicine, Humanities, Science, and Art & Design.
Pluralsight
Pluralsight, an American enterprise skill technology platform, is offering its complete catalog of more than 7000 courses for free amidst the pandemic. The courses cover topics like programming, machine learning, and cybersecurity. Usually, the platform requires students to sign up for a $29 per month subscription. The offer is only valid until 30th April though.
Moz Academy
Moz academy offers Easy-to-access SEO education with courses that explore all aspects of search engine optimization. The platform, in order to play its part in helping the world during these difficult times, has made all its courses free until 31st May. These courses normally cost $50 to $200 each.
To access the free catalog, all you have to do is sign-up on their website and use the ‘wegotthis’ promo code.
edX
Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX provides a platform for learning courses from universities like MIT, Harvard, Berkley, Boston university, and lots more. All the edX courses are free to audit, however, for a limited period of time. It is the only MOOC provider that is both non-profit and open-source. The platform is home to more than 2500 courses ranging from topics including Architecture, Art & Culture, Biology & Life Sciences, Business & Management, and lots more.
Conclusion
There are a bunch of other less renowned MOOCs, as well as Ivy League schools offering free online courses during the pandemic.
Whether you are a student or a freshly unemployed individual, online courses are an excellent way to improve your skillset. There is a huge wealth of information on the internet. You might as well use it for your own good during the lockdown.
mahnoor, you have done a great job easing the normal person who is also in panic or have lost a job or sitting idle, hope your efforts are well received and acted upon.
Useful information. Thanks for sharing.