Improving your skills or gaining new qualifications can significantly boost your chances of securing a job. Whether you’re looking to gain a qualification, explore new career fields, or develop key professional skills, there are many free or low-cost courses available to help you.Â
Many of these courses are online, allowing you to learn at your own pace from the comfort of your home. Below is a breakdown of free courses by industry, and where you can find them.
Office-based skills
If you’re looking to improve your office-based skills, there are several free courses available to help you build expertise in areas like customer service, business administration, and essential software tools.
- Customer service: Improve your customer service skills with free courses on platforms like Udemy and LinkedIn Learning. Courses cover key areas such as handling customer interactions, problem-solving, and delivering exceptional service. Explore customer service courses on Udemy and check out Customer Service: Problem Solving and Troubleshooting on LinkedIn Learning.
- Business administration: Enhance your skills in office management and business administration with free courses like A Beginner’s Guide to Excel on Udemy, where you can learn how to manage data and create spreadsheets efficiently. You can also improve your presentation skills with the PowerPoint for Training Professionals course, which focuses on delivering clear and engaging presentations. Additionally, LinkedIn Learning offers the Administrative Professional Foundations course, which covers essential office skills and strategies for administrative professionals.
Vocational skills
Vocational skills are essential for roles in various trades, including logistics and customer-facing positions. In Australia, there are various free or low-cost vocational training opportunities available to help you develop valuable skills in sectors such as care, construction, technology, and more. These programs often focus on areas with high-demand skill shortages and offer flexible learning options:
- Fee-Free TAFE: A government initiative providing tuition-free training in areas like care, construction, and technology. Eligibility requirements apply. Head to your state or territory’s TAFE website to find out more.
- JobTrainer: Offers free or low-cost courses for individuals aged 17 to 24 who are looking for work. Head to courses.com.au/government-funding to browse courses that may be eligible for government funding.
These initiatives provide opportunities for Australians to improve their skills and enhance career prospects, often at little or no cost. Be sure to check specific eligibility criteria and course availability.
Marketing skills
In today’s digital world, marketing skills are increasingly in demand. Whether you are looking to explore digital marketing or social media marketing strategies, you can access free training to enhance your skills:
- Google Digital Garage – Fundamentals of Digital Marketing: A free course offering an introduction to digital marketing, including SEO, social media, and analytics.
- HubSpot Academy – Inbound Marketing Certification: Free training in inbound marketing, content creation, and social media marketing.
- LinkedIn Learning – Online Marketing Foundations: A free course that provides an overview of digital marketing strategies and key concepts in the online marketing world.
- HubSpot Academy – Social Media Marketing: A free course covering strategies for using social media in marketing campaigns.
- Facebook Blueprint – Digital Marketing and Advertising: Free courses on Facebook and Instagram marketing, including paid advertising strategies.
Project management skills
Project management involves planning, organising, and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed efficiently and effectively. It requires a combination of skills to manage timelines, resources, budgets, and teams to meet specific goals. Here are some valuable resources to help you build a strong foundation in project management:
- Udemy – Project Management: Manage Projects Like a Professional: This course provides a comprehensive overview of key project management concepts and techniques, preparing you to manage projects like a pro.
- LinkedIn Learning – Project Management Foundations: Schedules: Learn essential skills for managing timelines, scheduling tasks, and keeping projects on track.
- FutureLearn – Project Management Beyond the Basics: A deeper dive into advanced project management strategies and tools, designed to enhance your skills and knowledge.
IT Skills
With technology rapidly evolving, IT skills are essential for roles in software development, web development, and data analysis. Here are some free courses to help you get started in these in-demand fields:
Programming and development: Learn programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and SQL through interactive platforms.
- freeCodeCamp: Learn web development, JavaScript, Python, and more with interactive lessons and projects.
- Codecademy: Free introductory courses in Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and SQL.
- Khan Academy: Free courses on JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and SQL.
- Udemy – Introduction to Python Programming: Access free coding tutorials for beginners, on Udemy, including Python programming and more.
Digital skills: Learn web development, data analytics, or AI, which are in high demand across industries.
- Grow With Google AI Training: Grow with Google’s AI training offers courses and tools to help you apply AI for better productivity and creativity.
- Udemy: The Web Development Fundamentals in One Hour course on Udemy offers a fast-paced introduction to the essential concepts of web development, providing you with the foundational knowledge to get started.
- LinkedIn Learning: The Learning Data Analytics course provides a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts and tools used in data analytics.
Cybersecurity: With growing concerns about digital security, cybersecurity skills are highly valued.
- Cybrary IT: Free courses on cybersecurity basics and network security.
- Coursera – IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate: A free course offering hands-on learning on securing networks and systems.
Taking advantage of these free and low-cost courses can help you develop valuable skills that will make you more competitive in the job market.