The year 2020 started with so much promise, each one of us had goals set, new courses to be taken, new businesses to start and even places to visit. By the end of the second month, most of these goals were abandoned because of the new coronavirus. All many of us want to do now is stay alive.
As the number of infected individuals the world over surpasses 2.1 million and deaths rising by the hour, drastic measures had to be taken. Learning a new skill or studying a new course will save you from failing as an entrepreneur.
Check out a few organizations offering online courses during the #COVID-19 lockdown.
Harvard University
Harvard is the oldest university in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. Many of us have dreams of going to Harvard, a dream that will likely remain so if you don’t take advantage of their free online courses. The instructors at Harvard are reputed for pushing the boundaries so it is worthwhile spending your free time studying their different free courses.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, the University has offered over 140 courses online for free. You can either audit the course without paying a dime or pay a token for the certificate. The courses are spread across several fields including business, humanities, programming, health, and medicine, to mention a few.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Stanford University
Stanford University has been in existence for over 125 years being established in 1885. This university has a huge reputation and is no doubt one of the best in the world. There is an array of courses you can pick and engage in for free.
For beginners, there are no criteria to satisfy but you should know that the courses are designed to increase in difficulty as you advance. For some of the courses, you will need certain tools but rest assured because there is guidance on what tools you need and how to install them. Courses range from business to ICT amongst others.
Rating: 4.7/5.0
Pick a course here.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
The World Health Organization (WHO) was established in 1948 when its constitution was enforced. Today, this organization has branches in over 150 countries having 7,000 staff. Are you interested in learning about health, especially courses related to the new coronavirus?
These pieces of training are free and will make your CV look great. Plus, you get to learn more about different health challenges as well as control measures and how to care for ill individuals. Taking any of these courses improves your chances of improving your community and making a positive impact.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Pick a course here.
Coursera
Coursera is an online platform for learning created by Computer Science professors at Stanford University in 2012. The idea behind the establishment of this platform was to ensure that people of all races in all locations can have access to education that will make their lives better.
Each course is taught by experienced instructors gathered from different companies and universities around the world. There are hundreds of free courses on Coursera that come with video lectures, community discussions, and personal exercises. Asides the free courses, there are also paid courses that come with additional projects, quizzes, and certificates.
So many universities are connected to this platform including Duke University, Yale, Imperial College London, Indian School of Business, etc. You need to take advantage of the time on your hands right now to enjoy the free courses, some of which are designed specifically for the lockdown.
Rating: 4.8/5.0
Pick a course here.
LinkedIn is the social media platform for intellectuals and professionals. As a matter of fact, so many entrepreneurs have no idea why they should be on LinkedIn. Beyond connections you get in different aspects of business, there is so much to learn on this app, and yes, for free.
Have you heard about LinkedIn Learning? It is a platform set up by LinkedIn to provide tutorials to professionals on business development, creativity, and technology. Courses are strictly online through the use of videos.
There are more than 5,000 courses and you have the luxury of recommendations personalized to suit your profile. When you have completed a course, you can add it to your LinkedIn profile, the same with the skills you develop while taking each course.
Rating: 4.7/5.0
Pick a course here.
Udemy
Udemy is one of the biggest online learning platforms today. As of January 2020, the platform had over 50 million students learning in more than 65 languages from 57,000 instructors. The goal is to improve the lives of individuals all over the world through learning.
Many courses on Udemy are not for free but considering the present challenges, there are over 500 free courses you can enroll in. The instructors have gained tons of experience in their various fields for several years. All the courses are well-curated, highly rated and frequently updated.
There are too many reasons why you should take a course on Udemy. For one, there are specialization courses and two, many of the courses are quite short.
Rating: 4.6/5.0
Pick a course here.
Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA)
If you are in Nigeria, this should appeal to you. NECA was established in 1957 as a covering organization for employers in the Nigerian Organized Private Sector. At the time, it was a forum for the Government and employers in the private sector to share consultations on labor and socio-economic matters.
NECA has a learning platform known as NECAPreneur. This platform was designed to turn Nigerian youth into entrepreneurs. As a result, it began running courses online for Nigerian youth. These courses cost a token but since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, NECA began running its courses for free. The courses revolve around business and entrepreneurship and they are divided into three levels, beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Pick a course here.
Conclusion
No knowledge is wasted and what better time to gain knowledge than now that you are less busy. Instead of complaining about being bored or just seeing movies, why not take a course today. Take advantage of the offers from any of these organizations and learn as much as you can before we get back to our regular activities.
This is a really great opportunity, thank you for the suggestions looking into right away.