Are you looking to transition to a new career? Or perhaps looking to add some skills to your resume? Or maybe you just want to learn something new? San Mateo County Libraries is already supporting job-seekers and life-long learners through our Career Workshops and Online Resources. Now, thanks to a generous program through the California State Library, opens a new window, San Mateo County Libraries cardholders have access to even more online job and learning resources!
Unemployed or underemployed Californians are disproportionately women, people of color, young people (under age 25), and people with less than a bachelor’s degree. The selection of these online resources took these demographics along with other workforce development needs into account. These resources can help support a career change, develop soft skills, start up a small business, build digital expertise, obtain various certifications, and more.
Coursera
Whether you’re looking to build a new skill or get certified for an in-demand career, Coursera can help! Coursera provides learners access to more than 5,000 courses and certifications with subtitles in more than 50 languages. Courses include English for Business and Entrepreneurship, Foundations of Public Health Practice, Become an EMT, Bookkeeping Basics, Food and Beverage Management, and much more.
The Gateway Certification program is built by leading companies such as Google, Facebook, and Salesforce. Designed for learners without a college degree and no field experience, these programs can help with obtaining employment for an entry-level position with room to grow.
To start using Coursera, please fill out this form to request an account. Once you’ve received your invitation email and joined the program, you can use this link to access Coursera in the future.
GetSetUp
Learn from your peers! GetSetUp is a social learning platform for patrons 50+. Classes are live and taught by experts who are also 50+. The classes cover a variety of topics such as digital learning/literacy, physical health, mental health, social health, and vocational health. Some examples of courses include Get Started with Zoom, Apple iCloud basics, Common Scams, and Fraud, Being the Best Grandparent Ever, Creating Your Own Podcast, Dog Socials (yes, a dog virtual meet-up on Zoom!), and more.
LearningExpress Library
LearningExpress Library can help you prepare for job exams such as the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET), California Real Estate Salesperson, and the California Police Officer Exam. It also offers tools for creating and building your resume, interviewing, and job-seeking. Other courses include Citizenship, adult education in Spanish, GED, college placement exam prep, and more.
LinkedIn Learning
San Mateo County Libraries has offered LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) for many years. Now, all California libraries have access to it! Check out our blog post to learn more about the upgraded LinkedIn Learning online platform.
Northstar Digital Literacy
Northstar Digital Literacy is a service started by the St. Paul Library and Minnesota digital literacy experts. The service focuses on learners with no, low, or limited technology skills as well as a lower English language level. Some examples of courses include Your Digital Footprint, Supporting K-12 Distance Learning, Email, Internet Basics, Information Literacy, and more.
Skillshare
Skillshare is an online learning community that can help you take the next step in your creative journey. The service offers 35,000 video courses on topics including entrepreneurship, graphic design, productivity, marketing, data analytics, and time management. Skillshare is ideal for creatives, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and anyone who wants to learn new skills. All courses are taught by expert instructors and learners have the opportunity to connect in the built-in peer community.
Please note that Skillshare has a limited number of accounts available, which are shared with the Peninsula Library System. Membership to Skillshare through the library is for three months and is first-come, first-serve.
What do you want to learn first? Which service will are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.
Add a comment to: Find a Job, Learn a New Skill, or Make Your Resume Shine With New Online Resources