How to improve your digital skills for free in lockdown

Whether you have been furloughed, or simply want to capitalise on the time you’ve saved on your commute, lockdown is a great opportunity to upskill yourself.

One of the best ways to do this is to improve your digital skills. At the beginning of the year, some of the most in-demand hard skills were cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytical reasoning, blockchain and user experience design, according to LinkedIn.

“Digital skills are one of the hottest topics,” agrees Simon Nelson, CEO of FutureLearn. He cites data analysis, data visualisation, coding, understanding digital business, and digital and social media marketing as some of the most in-demand skills in the modern workplace.

He claims “they’re potential routes to some of the most highly in-demand jobs and attractively-paid jobs” and that they are more relevant than ever. “With the massive disruption to all sorts of industries that coronavirus has caused,” he says, “these become even more essential skills for people looking to reskill or upskill.”

Anyone can benefit from upskilling. Generally, it is a good idea for those in their 40s and 50s to brush up on their digital skills. “Maybe for us in the more mature groups, a lot of the tech stuff is a bit alien,” Ian Nicholas, Global Chief Executive of Reed Specialist Recruitment, said previously, “so this would be an opportunity to get used to it.”

Yet it’s not just older workers who can benefit from learning these skills. Approximately 93 per cent of millennials feel the need to continue developing their skills to safeguard their future careers, according to the Millennial Careers: 2020 Vision report from ManPower Group.

If you want to improve your skills, you don’t need to go back to university. There are a number of online courses available for gaining digital skills - many of which are free.

What you can do for free…

1. Google Digital Garage

Google’s learning platform hosts a range of courses, which you can filter, depending on how long you want to spend (ranging from under two hours to over 20 hours).

There are just two courses which offer a free certificate after completion — the most useful one seems to be “Fundamentals of Digital Marketing”. This course comprises 26 modules, covering analytics and data, business strategy (e.g. “marketing your online presence”), content marketing, display advertising and e-commerce. The course takes 40 hours and ends in an exam; you are eligible for a certificate if you pass.

There are other free courses for improving your digital skills, although these do not come with a certificate. One example is the “Understand the Basics of Code” course, which takes just one hour to complete.

2. Digital Business Academy

Digital Business Academy provides online tools for how to start your own business. Even if you don’t want to be an entrepreneur, it can help to be forward-thinking, and many of the skills are transferable.

One such skill is in digital marketing, which you can learn about on the Master Marketing course, made up of six modules, covering topics such as how to master paid advertising and how to appear at the top of Google. Each course is taught using a combination of videos, bullet-points of key information and quizzes to test knowledge. From trialling the service, I can tell you it’s clear and easy to understand — and you could probably complete each course within half an hour.

If you complete all the modules in a course, you can download a free certificate, which is good to boost your CV.

3. Future Learn

FutureLearn provides online courses in partnership with UK and global universities. For improving your digital skills, you might consider the "Computer Programming for Everyone" course (in partnership with the Institute of Coding and the University of Leeds). This two week program covers how programming works in real life, as well as how to use basic and more complex code. At the end of the course, you will write your first computer program.

Usually, on FutureLearn, the course itself is free but you often have to pay for an upgrade if you want a certificate. However, the site is currently offering free PDF certificates on a range of courses — including the Computer Programming for Everyone course. Similarly, you can get a free certificate for a course on mobile technology (with Accenture), creating a social media marketing campaign (University of Leeds) and digital skills in retail (with Accenture).

4. LinkedIn Learning

Currently, LinkedIn is offering a month’s free trial for its LinkedIn Learning service. Usually, you would have to pay for each course — and they cost approximately £20 each. Most include a certificate upon completion.

The courses are between one hour and two hours long. Particularly useful courses for the workplace might include “Digital Marketing” (including promoting content on social media, video advertising, content design and creation, and SEO), “Social Media Marketing”, “Online Video Content Strategy” and “Marketing on Instagram”.

There are also courses on how to present data, including the “Excel Essential Training (Office 365)” course, which is an introduction to Excel for beginners (how to create tables and charts and sort data). There’s also a course on “Data Visualisation for Marketers” which focuses on how to present data.

Courses you have to pay for...

5. Udemy

This American online learning platform has thousands of courses on offer, starting at £13.99 each. If you buy a course, you have lifetime access, meaning there is no time limit to your learning.

The courses seem fairly comprehensive, and might be worth the financial investment. “Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation”, for instance, costs just £13.99 (it’s on special offer — it usually costs £79.99) and includes 12 hours of video, 534 downloadable resources, six articles, assignments and a certificate of completion.

The “Digital Marketing Masterclass” also seems to cover a lot, including social media marketing, YouTube, Facebook content, email marketing and websites. It currently costs £25.99 (usually it costs £149.99), and you receive a certificate at the end.

6. General Assembly

General Assembly usually runs full-time and part-time courses on campuses across Europe (including London), America, Australia and Asia. However, given the Covid pandemic, General Assembly has shifted all of its courses to online.

The site has an impressive variety of digital offerings. For instance, there are courses on: data analytics (£2,800, or free if employer sponsors you), front-end web development (£2,800), visual design course (£2,100) and digital marketing (£2,800). There are set term dates, so it is slightly less flexible than other options.

The courses are run by expert instructors and there is usually one-on-one career coaching, although it is unclear how this will work remotely. One course which is particularly unique is the “UX Design Immersive” module, where students leave with a professional-grade portfolio. This course is one of the more expensive, costing £9,000 (although you can pay in three installments of £3,000).

7. FutureLearn

Yes, FutureLearn is already on the list. But, as well as its free online courses, the platform also offers microcredentials —accredited modules that you can put towards a degree.

FutureLearn has nine microcredential courses. One of the most relevant for gaining digital skills is the “Data Science: Data-Driven Decision Making” course, covering programming, harvesting data and data visualisation. You can take the individual modules for free but, if you want to get a certificate of completion and gain six credit points at postgraduate level for Monash University (in Australia), you will have to pay £743.

“The Digital Economy” is another worthwhile course, where you will learn about supply chain management, improving sales, funding opportunities for funding growth, and managerial skills. It is 29 weeks long and costs £788 in total. Upon completing the course, you will receive 15 credits towards The Open University Business School’s flexible MBA.