Education Opportunities
Invest in your own success
A degree in computer science is no longer needed to advance or enter a career in technology. Our partner companies, instead, want to hire individuals with an affinity for technology and varying life experiences who have the will and determination to learn and grow. And the unique view and life experiences of Returners is high on their list.
Below are some of the free and low-cost online learning platforms that will help you enter or advance a career in tech. All you need is a computer, Internet access, and the will to learn. If you have questions or are uncertain about where to start, please join our weekly Power Hour to connect with other Returners and to speak to the WBW team.
The Google Career Certificate program is 100% free and requires no prior experience. Google offers certifications in IT Support, Data Analytics, Project Management, UX Design, and Android Development. (go to Google Career Certificate Program)
Udacity claims to be the fastest, most effective way to gain job-ready expertise for the careers of the future. In other words, Udacity focuses on technical courses. Many of the courses are free, however, you will need to pay for a certificate of completion. (go to Udacity)
Coursera partners with more than 200 leading universities and companies to bring flexible, affordable, job-relevant online learning to individuals and organizations worldwide. They offer a range of learning opportunities from hands-on projects and courses to job-ready certificates and degree programs. (go to Coursera)
LinkedIn Learning used to be the popular online education service Lynda.com. It offers video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. The first month is free but there is a monthly cost after that. (go to LinkedIn Learning)
Coursera partners with more than 200 leading universities and companies to bring flexible, affordable, job-relevant online learning to individuals and organizations worldwide. They offer a range of learning opportunities from hands-on projects and courses to job-ready certificates and degree programs. (go to Coursera)
YouTube has dozens of free tutorial channels for learning programming languages. One of the most popular is TheNewBoston. This channel has extensive tutorials available on both backend and frontend languages, intended for newbies to advanced learners. (go to TheNewBoston)
DataCamp is an inexpensive platform that teaches individuals the skills they need to work with data in the real world. You will be able to learn the data skills needed at your own pace—from non-coding essentials to data science and machine learning. (go to DataCamp)
Berkeley Boot Camps offer online, immersive, market-driven programs in coding, data analytics, UX/UI, cybersecurity, digital marketing, fintech, and technology project management. They also offer an exclusive $500 discount to WBW Returners. Click on the link and use the code listed in the banner at the top of the page. (go to UC Berkeley Extension)
Codecademy is an online interactive platform that offers free coding classes in 12 different programming languages. The site also offers a paid “Pro” option that gives users access to personalized learning plans, quizzes, and realistic projects. (go to Codecademy)
Pluralsight offers a variety of video training courses for software developers, IT administrators, and creative professionals. They use more than 1,400 subject-matter experts as authors, and offer more than 7,000 courses in its catalog (go to Pluralsight)
FutureLearn is a digital education platform that company that is jointly owned by The Open University and SEEK Ltd. It is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) learning platform, and includes over 175 UK and international partners, including non-university partners. (go to FutureLearn)
Coding Allies helps women and gender minorities prepare for interviews, advance their careers, and share experiences together. Join Coding Allies for bi-weekly data structures & algorithms practice events, mock interviews with partner companies, and open source projects in a safe and welcoming environment. (Join the Coding Allies Facebook Group)
Galvanize is a learning community for technology with eight physical campuses across the U.S. where innovative startups, aspiring students, and large enterprises benefit from a dynamic, unique technology ecosystem. (go to Galvanize)