Traditionally, education has been a lengthy process, and learners generally opt for a three or four-year graduate degree program to become job-ready. But, with the rapid evolution of online learning, skill-based learning has gained a lot of traction. E-learning has led to a greater balance between knowledge-based and skill-based learning.
Many educators now advocate building upon knowledge by gaining practical exposure in a specific field, something that is ensured in skill-based learning. It is, especially helpful for working professionals who want to gain digital skills without spending a hefty amount on an academic course.
Online training courses are more affordable than university programs and come with flexible learning options. Also, when the COVID-19 pandemic outbroke, the e-learning industry was given a significant boost. Millions of learners started enrolling in the live classes offered by top online training providers to continue their education.
This led the key players in the edtech industry to offer free online learning. As a result, there is no shortage of certifications you can pursue online at present. These certifications offer various perks for your career and take it to a whole new level.
The best part about these certificate courses is they are available for any category you can imagine. Whether you want to learn digital marketing, photography, artificial intelligence, software development, personality development, data science, cloud computing, or project management, there is a dedicated short-duration course on each category that you take up.
In fact, you will find courses to help you prepare for the exams of various industry-recognized certifications like PMP, CISSP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate, CEH, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL, and so on.
Mentioned below are some of the top certificate courses that you can pursue online for free.
Google Analytics for Beginners
Offered by – Google Analytics Academy
Google offers a variety of courses, generally related to digital marketing, machine learning, and career development. Google Analytics is a powerful tool widely used in digital marketing, and you can take this Google Analytics for Beginners course to gain expertise in it.
You will learn how to analyze basic audience, acquisition, behavior reports, and campaign tracking, among other concepts, through this course. You will get a course completion certificate at the end. Next, you can complete the Advanced Google Analytics course and apply for the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) exam.
Getting Started with AWS
Offered by – SkillUp by Simplilearn
Simplilearn is one of the world’s leading certification training providers that offer free courses through its SkillUp initiative. This AWS basics course is for everyone who wishes to start a cloud computing career and explore the fundamentals of Amazon Web Services.
You will get access to 11 hours of in-depth training modules and learn about data storage fundamentals, security foundations, AWS service selection, and AWS cloud architecture. On completion, you will get a certificate that you can share with prospective employers and professional networking platforms like LinkedIn.
Python for Data Science
Offered by – Cognitive Class by IBM
Do you want to kick-start your learning of Python for data science? If yes, this is one of the best courses you will come across. This beginner-level program helps you learn Python programming, write your own Python scripts, and perform basic hands-on data analysis using IBM’s Jupyter-based lab environment. The syllabus is divided into four modules that you can follow at a comfortable pace, and the total duration to complete the course is 20 hours. When you sign up, you get free access to IBM Watson Studio where you can create your own data science projects and collaborate with other data scientists.
MedTech: AI and Medical Robots
Offered by – Future Learn
Take this course if you are interested in exploring human-robot interaction and learning about robotics and artificial intelligence in the field of healthcare. The instructors for this program will take you through concepts like identifying the challenges of building robots for healthcare and what steps do MedTech scientists take to solve them.
It includes case studies to make you aware of the reasons why regulations are important for the safe use of AI and robots in healthcare. The program has been accredited by the CPD Certification Service and you will need to spend 5 hours for 2 weeks to complete it.
Learn Game Development with Phaser.js
Offered by – Codecademy
Phaser is the biggest HTML5 game development framework in the market, and you should learn about it if you want to turn your game ideas into game realities. This training program, spanning 8 hours, will teach you to build eight games using Phaser. You will learn how to build and curate interactive experiences and deploy your games to the web.
As Phaser is built-in javaScript, it is recommended to have prior knowledge of JavaScipt before enrolling in this course. Starting with the Phaser basics, the program takes you through Phaser physics, Phaser animations, Phaser camera effects, and other visual tools.
Apart from the courses discussed above, the training providers offer comprehensive programs for various other fields, including preparatory courses for the best IT certifications. Achieving any of these certifications will demonstrate your skills and help you stay ahead of your peers.