Coventry University Online and FutureLearn launch free course to boost career skills

Jobseekers of today are scrambling for career opportunities as the recent pandemic has upended businesses around the globe.

The pattern is similar in the UK as unemployment rates hit close to 4% and as a result, many professionals are looking to upskill and reskill for new job opportunities as workplaces become increasingly digitised.

It has become absolutely crucial for professionals to be able to work remotely by embracing technology in their daily lives, as a result of the pandemic.

As a response, Coventry University Online is announcing the launch of a new course, ‘Career Skills for the 2020s: Navigating the Online World of Work’, designed to help learners identify the career skills they need to upskill in their sector or to seek a new job online.

This online course, which is available on the leading social learning platforms, FutureLearn.com aims to boost career skills for individuals without a degree whose jobs are at risk of redundancy or have recently been furloughed or made redundant across England.
The course focuses on soft skills such as communication, emotional intelligence, and resilience, alongside the digital skills needed to work online.

This course, designed as part of the Nesta CareerTech Challenge aims to improve learners’ confidence in searching for work or progressing within their current sector.

Project Lead for the Nesta CareerTech Challenge at Coventry University Online, Tara Hawes said, “We are absolutely thrilled to be part of the Nesta CareerTech Challenge, working with FutureLearn and the Behavioural Insights Team to produce a course that will really make a difference to people’s lives,” Hawes said.

“(The course) is designed to improve learners’ digital capabilities while practicing soft skills like communication and problem solving, this course is truly unique in that it specifically illustrates how these skills are important when working online, empowering learners to find a job or take their current role to the next level.”

Through this course, learners will identify how to set goals for their professional development. This can be achieved by introducing learners to digital tools and analytical frameworks that will help them to set goals for their future careers and identify the skills they need to get there.

Ultimately, learners will be able to create an online CV and build a strong online professional presence as they learn alongside expert progression coaches and student experience officers.

Students are set to benefit from access to an online community of learners to support them along the way, as well as the professional resources needed to help them take control of their career.

Learners enrolled in the course will have unlimited access to the course content and will receive a printable digital certificate upon completion.

Chief People Officer at FutureLearn, Catalina Schveninger said that FutureLearn’s mission is to transform access to education.

Schveninger adds that with the current job climate where many are experiencing uncertainty with their current and future career paths, it is essential to gain skills that are job-relevant.

“That’s why we’re excited to partner with Coventry University Online to develop this expert-led course that we hope will reach millions of learners as they adapt to this digitally-driven future of work,” she added.