Need new skills? These online learning platforms can help

Whether your job responsibilities are evolving or you want to apply for a promotion or a new role, remote learning can help you to develop specialized skills. Luckily, there are plenty of online educational platforms, including videos, webinars, downloadable learning materials, and more to help you reach your goals.

If you want to learn coding, UX design, marketing, or other skills, the following online learning platforms can help.

Udemy

Udemy offers more than 100,000 online video courses at an affordable price; some are even free. Courses cover some of the most in-demand topics — like design, development, marketing, and IT and software. This learning platform even offers Jotform training materials. You get lifetime access to any course you buy, so you can progress at your own pace.

Udacity

With many extra support options, Udacity takes online learning resources to the next level. You can choose from programs in artificial intelligence (AI), data science, programming, and other in-demand fields. 

You’ll receive valuable online resources — like access to career coaching sessions, resume reviews, technical mentor support, and real-world projects — to help you master your skills. There are plenty of free courses, and their nanodegrees start at about $249 per month.

Khan Academy

Providing free online education, the nonprofit Khan Academy acts as a global classroom. This learning platform offers courses in economics, computing, life skills, reading and language arts, and more. It also offers Pre-K through eighth-grade math as well as math for high school and college. 

This distance learning platform is ideal for students, especially in the light of current school closures, but its courses in topics like microeconomics also provide helpful resources for adult learners, too.

General Assembly

Designed to provide you with valuable career skills, General Assembly offers online, part-time, and full-time learning experiences. With courses in topics like data science, UX design, front-end web development, and product management, you can develop specialized, sought-after skills. Other highlights include payment plans, employer tuition reimbursement options, and tuition discounts for women.

Coursera

Coursera works with more than 200 universities and companies to provide flexible, affordable, high-quality learning opportunities. Tools like self-paced quizzes and hands-on projects help to enhance learning, and you can complete courses at a pace that works for you. 

Many courses are available for free, and you can choose from a wide array of topics, including business, computer science, data science, information technology, physical science and engineering, and personal development.

LinkedIn Learning

Previously Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning features a comprehensive database of online courses that cover a wide array of topics. You’ll find more than 16,000 business, developer, design, web, photography, and marketing courses and video tutorials. Exercises and quizzes help to ensure that you’re learning the material as you progress through each course. You’ll get a certificate when you finish each one.

LinkedIn Learning is ideal for individual learners, but it’s also useful for businesses, higher education organizations, and government agencies that want to help develop employees’ or students’ skills. You must contact the company for pricing information. You can also get free access to these courses during a one-month trial.

HubSpot Academy

If you’re looking to build your business skills or bring your team up to date on the latest marketing techniques, HubSpot Academy can help you to do it — for free. You can take  quick courses and pursue more in-depth certifications in valuable marketing topics like social media, email marketing, SEO, inbound sales, and content marketing. 

As you earn certifications, you can add them to your LinkedIn profile, potentially making you more competitive in the job market. Regardless of whether you’re looking for a new position, you can use the skills you learn to help build your business.

edX

edX gives you access to more than 2,500 courses curated from colleges and universities like Harvard University, Boston University, the University of California at Berkeley, and more. The broad base of subjects includes computer science, business and management, data science, engineering, and the humanities. 

Many of these courses teach you job-specific skills and include certificates for completion. Courses typically cost between $50 and $300, but they’re still significantly more affordable than what you would pay if you attended one of these schools.

MIT OpenCourseWare

You don’t have to be a student at MIT to access the institute’s resources. Thanks to MIT OpenCourseWare, you can view courses, audio and video lectures, online textbooks, and supplemental resources for free. MIT has made a wide variety of resources available, including courses on business and entrepreneurship, engineering, health and medicine, humanities, and much more.

Pursuing online learning

Many of the above learning options allow you to move at your own pace, so you can take courses even while working full time. If you want to build up your resume or develop the skills you need to keep up with your evolving position, online courses are a convenient and affordable way to do so.