TAFE NSW Is Offering Free Online Courses For Aussies to Upskill In Isolation

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Rather than binge-watching TV and dulling your brain, it’s best to take this time in self-isolation to try out online courses and upskill yourself. In good news for isolated people in NSW, TAFE NSW is offering free online courses to support job seekers stuck at home. In fact, over 85,000 Aussies have already signed up for them.

On April 6, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that TAFE NSW had released 21 short online courses that Aussies can complete at home, for free.

As of April 30, 13 new courses have been added to the list. In a press conference, the premier said these would replace courses in the original list which were oversubscribed, including those relating to digital coding and cyber security.

In the same presser, Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, Geoff Lee, also mentioned that Aussies had shown a keen interest in medical administration, with 10,000 signing up for the course.

The COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing measures have caused many people to be stood down from their jobs as small businesses struggle to survive. Even those with a job may be feeling anxious and stressed about what’s to come and are looking for a solid distraction.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/04/the-governments-jobkeeper-and-jobseeker-coronavirus-payments-explained/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/03/centrelink-410×231.jpg” title=”The Government’s JobKeeper And Jobseeker Coronavirus Payments Explained” excerpt=”In light of the economic ramifications of the coronavirus outbreak in Australia, the government has announced a new suite of welfare packages to help Australians who’ve found themselves out of work with the new shutdown restrictions or economic downturn. Among them are the JobKeeper and Jobseeker payments, which are a little confusing at first. Here’s what you need to know.”]

For either of those reasons, taking out time to study and learn something new might make you come out of coronavirus quarantine feeling proud of yourself despite the circumstances.

“This is good news, it means people can start preparing for when these difficult times are over, and through TAFE NSW if you pop onto their website you can actually acquire how you can do one of these courses from home,” the premier said at the press conference on April 6.

“And you can get qualified over a short period of time, rather than just if you haven’t got a job or you’re not working from home its an opportunity for you to upgrade your skills, acquire new skills so that you can enter or re-enter the workforce when you finish this difficult time.”

The fee-free accredited courses by TAFE NSW are designed to diversify the skills of people who are over 17; live or work in NSW; are either Australian or New Zealand citizens or have a permanent resident status or humanitarian visa.

The courses are divided into five categories and can be completed within days or weeks. They offer practical skills and experiences that can be used across various industries.

The categories include: administration skills, digital impact, health and medical knowledge, leadership performance and practical business skills.

To find out more about the free courses and how to enrol yourself into one, visit the website TAFE NSW.

Other resources to study online

If you’re feeling positive and would like to dabble a bit more in the online learning world, there are other platforms that can teach you new skills for free.

Coursera has released a ton a free content that is available at zero-cost until the end of May.

“While many courses on Coursera are already available for free without a certificate, this promotion enables you to not only access lectures and quizzes, but also to earn a free certificate for courses that offer them,” their blog update stated.

Sign up for Coursera’s free courses here.

Meanwhile, Udemy has curated more than 250 courses which are also available for free. These are especially useful for those looking to work on their tech and coding skills. But broader subjects like time management and photography are also available.

Sign up for Udemy’s free courses here.

With so many resources available with just a few taps on the keyboard, it’s time to stop procrastinating and start learning.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/07/the-best-free-background-noise-generators-for-working-gaming-and-studying/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/byi59gl6mltqiljgni7w.jpg” title=”The Best Free Background Noise Generators For Working, Gaming, And Studying” excerpt=”There are tons of background sound sites and apps, but most do the same things. We’ve compiled the best ones, all free online, plus a collection of the best background sound mobile apps. Use them as background noise while you work, read, study, play a tabletop RPG, or even in the background of a party.”]

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