From April 2021, the government is offering almost 400 different free courses, worth the equivalent of an A-level qualification in subjects such as accountancy, engineering and business studies.
The national careers service also offers many tools. These include a skills assessment, a search tool for courses, and help with CVs. The government’s ”find a job” website also lists vacancies.
Many universities and other institutions are also currently offering free short courses.
For example, the University of Edinburgh is offering courses in fields such as statistics and data, the University of Oxford has a free course on economic development, and the Open University offers many free courses too.
Many other platforms, such as Codeacademy and Coursera, offer online coding tutorials, some of which are free.
The Prince’s Trust is offering free personal development sessions to help 18-30 year-olds get into the health and social care sector. The charity offers mentoring, CV help, and can match jobseekers with suitable local employers.