Upskill in tech: 5 free beginner-friendly courses offered by IBM

E-learning platforms such as edX and Coursera are known for offering free courses by renowned universities across the globe, but did you know that many of the world’s top organisations are also offering programmes to help you upskill in tech? These include free IBM courses.

The computer giant offers individuals from across the globe the chance to upskill and gain key skills in a suite of technical topics through e-learning. The goal is to help students, professionals, and organisations build critical technology skill. These skills will come in handy for those seeking to arm themselves with the skills to help them thrive in our digitally-driven era and for an ultra-competitive tomorrow.

Their courses are especially appealing for beginners looking to upskill with industry-led knowledge. Furthering bolstering its appeal lies in IBM’s name itself. The company has many feathers under its cap, including a strong history of helping its clients successfully manage global crises over its 109-year history. Here are five IBM courses worth exploring:

AI for Everyone: Master the Basics

Part of a professional certificate, this free IBM course teachers learners the fundamentals of AI, its applications, and how it is transforming our lives. In just four-weeks, participants will be exposed to the technology’s concerns – including ethics, bias, jobs and the impacts on society. The programme culminates with a mini project.

Introduction to Data Science

Introduction to Data Science introduces aspiring data scientists to big data science practitioners and offers learners an overview of what data science is today. Participants will understand what data scientists actually do; grasp the tools and algorithms used on a daily basis; hone the skills needed to succeed; bridge the gap between data science and business; and understand the basics of forming a strong team in six weeks. 

IBM Cloud Essentials

This course begins with an introduction to the IBM Cloud platform which covers topics such as data center locations and configuring identity and access management. Participants will then discover the various Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) options available on IBM Cloud. 

Next are the deployment options on IBM Cloud that include topics such as Containers, Kubernetes, and OpenShift. Learners will also become familiar with IBM Cloud services such as databases, artificial intelligence and Watson, blockchain, internet of things, and many others. In addition to videos, the five-week course comes with demos of various IBM Cloud features and services in action. It also offers hands-on labs to gain practical experience with IBM Cloud at no charge.

Introduction to Cloud Computing

This six-week course teaches learners the definition and essential characteristics of cloud computing, its history, emerging trends, and the business case for cloud computing. Participants will also learn about the various cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), deployment models (Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid Cloud), and the key components of a cloud architecture (Virtualization, VMs, Storage, Networking, Containers).

The course will also familiarise learners with emerging trends associated with cloud including, Hybrid Multicloud, Microservices, Serverless, Cloud Native, DevOps, and Application Modernisation.

Cybersecurity Basics

This course touches on the background needed to understand basic cybersecurity. Learners are taught the history of cybersecurity in just four-weeks; exploring motives of cyber attacks to further their knowledge of current cyber threats to both organisations and individuals. Key terminology, basic system concepts, and tools will all be examined as an introduction to the field as a whole.

To conclude, participants will learn about organisations and resources to further research cybersecurity issues in the modern era.