Have you ever met a 13-year old expert in coding? Or an 18-year old master in digital marketing? I certainly have. And what is the secret mantra behind their success? Online courses! Thanks to the advancement of the internet, we can learn anything and everything sitting at home. However hard it is to believe, free courses do provide value that can help in career progression. Although the courses might be free, don’t make the mistake of considering them unscholarly. Some courses provide free certification as well, the cherry on the top. Courses are available on every topic to satisfy learners’ hunger for knowledge.

Let’s see how certificates can help you:

- They add to your skillset

- They make your CV better

- They build authenticity 

- The employers see you as competent

- They can help you get promoted

- They help you come across as a professional

- They show you are committed to learn

But, not every free online course comes with free certification. So, here is a list of free online courses where you can get a certificate for free:

Google Digital Garage

Did you know Google also offers free training? Google has launched a Grow with Google program to help people find jobs, to excel in their careers. To brush up on your digital skills, you can join courses in Digital Marketing, Career Development, and Data and Tech. All the courses are self-paced. What is interesting is that you have unlimited access to the video tutorials. Though, most of the courses are meant for beginners; no advanced courses are available. Under this wide-reaching programme, live webinars are also conducted. Anyone can join these webinars, but only those having a Gmail and YouTube account can take part in live chats. 

Oxford University Online Courses

Can you believe there are numerous free online courses on Oxford University’s website? From nutrition to travel and tourism, courses on diverse subjects are available at zero cost. When you go to Oxford’s Home Study website, you will see at least 50 courses. The best part is that if you face any issue, there is a special support team that handles all the queries. Anybody can enroll in the courses any time of the year. Some courses are short while others long. They are very well-detailed. For instance, a Cyber Securityfree online course on the website explains nearly 28 topics.

Indian Government Free Online Courses

Covid-19 was a tragic occurrence for the whole world. But as the saying goes, “There’s no great loss without some small gain.” The small gain, in this case, is the digitization of education. The Government of India took the Covid crisis seriously; it decided to provide technical and non-technical education for free online. Any course provided by the government has far more value than the same course by some private institution. Given below are some portals where you can join a free online course and get the certification. You will find these portals on the SWAYAM website.

• NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning): NPTEL is an important project funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The online courses available on this portal have been created by experts from 7 IITs across the nation. Though the majority of courses are related to engineering, there are some related to other fields also (Law, Economics, Management, agriculture, etc). 

• CEC (Consortium for Educational Communication): CEC courses are meant for college and University students. The topics range from philosophy, corporate finance to animation, and academic writing. Students can engage in discussions with the instructor and fellow students. Material is provided both in video and written format. At the end of the course, the student has to pass an examination, following which the certificate of completion is his. The courses are usually 4 to 24 weeks long. 

• AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education): AICTE recently opened a learning platform called ELIS (Enhancement in Learning with Improvement in Skills). You will find here the courses created by noteworthy companies such as Codered, Coursera, EdX, Simpliv, and SkillTech. You don’t have to spend a penny on buying these courses from their original platforms. 

However, there is a slight inconvenience with these courses. They are not available all round the year. 

Upskilling is important in every career. To keep pace with the world, online courses can be of great help. While academic qualification is a must, never underestimate the power of an online course that can teach you practical skills. Remember, education is not for students- it is for learners. An internet connection and a zest for learning are all you need to make a difference. No matter how old or young you are, you can polish your skills regardless. Whether you join a course to outshine in your professional life or simply out of curiosity, it is bound to assist your journey in one way or the other.