by Rachel Musicante
Our nation’s teetering economy has prompted many organizations to offer free resources and training to the public. This article highlights LinkedIn’s free training options and how and why LinkedIn (LI) is offering them.
From now until the end of March 2021 LI is providing training in 10 key skills. Each of the 10 learning paths (flexible, user-led courses) is online, free, and marketable. LinkedIn carefully chose the 10 roles to help job-seekers get back on their feet now and post-COVID.
What Are the 10 Roles and How Did LI Choose Them?
These are the roles that LinkedIn is offering (in descending order of demand):
- software developer
- sales representative
- project manager
- IT administrator
- customer service specialist
- digital marketer
- IT support/help desk
- data analyst
- financial analyst
- graphic designer
- [pay] a livable wage, and 4. [require] skills that can be learned online.
Why is LI Offering this Training?
According to LinkedIn’s CEO Ryan Roslansky, the company’s goal is “to help those who have become unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis get the skills they need to land their next job. By giving free access to the skills and training that job seekers need to get jobs, we hope to do our part and help connect job seekers around the globe to new opportunities.” LinkedIn’s goal is to engage 25 million learning path consumers by the end of 2020.Additional Benefits of LI’s Training Opportunities
If obstacles such as money, time, and academic prerequisites prevented career training and advancement in the past, LinkedIn’s training initiative might be the right opportunity to seize now. As previously mentioned, the learning paths are completely free. If setting aside time for training was once a problem, many job seekers can now optimize daytime hours, newly available due to lost employment. The problem of unemployment thus carries a potential upside: allotting time for “reskilling” becomes manageable. And the upsurge in online learning opportunities means increased access to new career possibilities without going back to school. Unlike traditional college courses, there are no prerequisites to take these self-paced courses. Additionally, registration is not required to view the content. With less demands on money and time and no previous experience required, the barriers to entry virtually evaporate.How Much Training is LinkedIn Offering?
The amount of training varies by course. Average instruction time is roughly 21 hours; customer service specialist course time clocks in at just 5½ hours, while IT support/help desk requires the greatest time commitment at 34 hours. Some learning paths prepare you for an exam and have associated costs and commitments beyond the LinkedIn learning path.Access to Training and Broader Initiative
To explore or embark on a learning path:-
- click here
- scroll down to the list of 10 roles
- click on “become a…” next to the role/s that you want
Resources
Our economy is crisis only one candidate realizes it – Washingtonpost.com
Helping 25 million jo seekers get back to work –Blog
Microsoft makes 250+ hours of LinkedIn learnign content available for free –Class Central
Resources
J. T. O’Donnell, “Laid Off: 4 Options To Help You Add Value & Move Forward” (12-minute video), April 15, 2020
Ryan Roslansky, “Helping 25 Million Job Seekers Get Back to Work,” June 30, 2020
Christof Rindlisbacher, “Microsoft Makes 250+ Hours of LinkedIn Learning Content Available for Free,” June 30, 2020
Mike Snider, “LinkedIn, Microsoft launch free Learning Path job training courses to fight coronavirus unemployment,” USA Today, June 20, 2020