Upskilling not only improves your skills and abilities for the changing job market, it also shows to recruiters your enthusiasm to learn and adapt. Completed or ongoing courses, professional development, certificates and qualifications look great on a resumé.
There are many ways to upskill, both formal and informal, and the best part is that it can cost very little, or nothing at all.
MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, are free online courses offered by top universities and training platforms from around the world. There are no entry requirements for the hundreds of free and low-cost short courses available to choose from, in fields ranging from broad subject areas to task specific skills, and everything in between.
Although online courses generally do not offer certified qualifications, they are a great chance to experience a subject area before committing to more formal study.
Some leading providers include:
Future Learn partners with universities from around the world to deliver online courses and degrees, and offers a free 2-week trial to give a taste of what is has to offer.
LinkedIn Learning offers thousands of video courses taught by experts and professionals, across business, creative and technical subject areas.
Tip: Most paid platforms include an option for a free trial!
For a more formal style of training, consider enrolling in a tertiary course at a university or TAFE.
Courses from over 20 different fields, both short and long, have been identified by the Government as growth areas for skills and jobs in demand, as part of the JobTrainer program. Including:
Automotive
Building, Construction, Engineering
Business and Accounting
Animal Care, Agriculture and Horticulture
Health Care, Nursing and Community Services
Fashion, Textiles, Art & Design
IT, Communications, Telecommunications + many more
Search for the full list of available courses at the My Skills website
Government programs are also subsidising traineeships, apprenticeships, mature age scholarships, women in business and foundation skills training.
Finding a job in 2021 doesn't necessarily mean leaving your current workplace.
These may include:
subscriptions to training resources
internal promotion processes and career mapping
opportunities to experience a new variety of tasks
employer supported external study
A conversation with your human resources team or direct manager about upskilling doesn't need to be awkward. Remember; it can be of as much benefit to them as it is for you!