Online learning platform Coursera has launched a new program to help people who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Under this scheme, different governments will sign up to participate in the program, making it open to unemployed citizens as a way to help them obtain new jobs. The program involves 3,800 online courses and technical certificates.
As with similar sites such as edX, Coursera provides the public access to thousands of courses from universities, colleges and other higher education institutions around the world. Such courses are taught by professors and other experts, allowing all access to educational opportunities.
The platform is divided into two categories: free and charged. Users who want to place the completed programs and classes on their resumes will opt to pay for a certificate after completing each course, otherwise they will only be able to ‘audit’ the course without receiving a final certificate.
On Friday, Coursera announced its latest Workforce Recovery Program, which will enable local governments to sign up (until 30 September) to participate; these organizations will then be able to offer free-trade access to the unemployed individuals they support.
In addition to courses on business English, foreign languages and data science, the program also contains such items as the Google IT Help Technical Credential. While taking classes through Coursera is unlikely to be enough to secure a job for anyone, they can help improve a resume and increase one’s chances of getting a gig.