The Benefits of Short Courses and Continuous Professional Development for Entrepreneurs

Continuous Professional Development for Entrepreneurs

The Benefits of Short Courses for Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur it’s important to keep on track in the digital world and to continue your professional development, enabling you to learn new skills and improve upon existing skills you already have. This can be done by starting a short course online which can be completed in your own time, allowing you to expand your knowledge around entrepreneurship or other areas of interest that might benefit your business. 

Short courses can bring about many benefits as you can keep up to date with rapid changes in the digital world and acquire relevant skills and knowledge to remain competitive. As an entrepreneur you probably don’t have the time to undertake a professional qualification or a degree, which is why taking a short course is the answer to continue expanding your skill set in a short space of time.

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Benefits of Short Courses:

  • Most courses are accessible all throughout the year and can be completed at any time, so you won’t feel under pressure to commit to a particular time.
  • There are a huge variety of courses in various fields, led by professionals meaning you could choose to learn something completely new or further your existing skills, giving you the freedom to pick the course that will best suit your needs.
  • Many learning platforms are completely free of charge so you won’t need to spend a penny completing the course. At the same time, you still have the benefit of learning practical skills without needing to invest money like you would have to do if you decided to pursue a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme.
  • After completing a short course, you can add the skills you’ve developed onto your CV.

What Short Courses are Available?

  • Dagile: Courses led by Dagile are free if you’re employed, self-employed or on the kickstarter scheme and are living or working in London. There are a wealth of learning opportunities, including digital marketing, cyber security, leadership management and web development & UX/UI. Upon completion you’ll receive an accredited qualification from OCN London.

To sign up, visit: dagile.uk

  • Future Learn: Future Learn is a digital education platform that has courses available in so many different skills and areas so you’re bound to find something that will interest you! Courses are delivered by world-class universities and organisations, including KCL, University of Bristol, University of Edinburgh, BFI, Accenture, and the British Council. All courses are free, but you have the option to upgrade and receive a printed digital Certificate of Achievement, upon completion.

To sign up, visit: https://www.futurelearn.com/

  • Coursera: Coursera works in a similar way to Future Learn and offers free courses, as well as the option to earn a degree or certificate by completing longer programmes. They collaborate with leading universities and companies including Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, and PWC.

To sign up, visit: https://www.coursera.org/

  • LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning provides you with access to over 16,000 business, design, and tech online courses. You may want to brush up on your Microsoft Excel skills or develop your career through personal branding, there are so many options to choose from! Access to LinkedIn Learning costs £29.99 per month, but you can start a 1-month free trial to test the courses out.

To sign up, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/subscription/products

Differences between in-person learning, online learning and accredited short courses:

Nowadays, there are so many ways of learning. The pandemic has demonstrated that you can now complete courses 100% online and many universities have now opted use blend learning as the primary method of teaching.

In-person learning: This is the traditional learning format followed by the education system where you physically go into classrooms to learn and participate in discussions. In-person learning is a great way to meet new people, understand people’s body language and have a more personalised learning experience.

Online learning: The pandemic has seen an increase in the number of people opting to partake in online learning. Institutes such as The Open University allow you to get agree through online learning so you can be living anywhere in the world! Assignments, lectures and seminars are all delivered through a virtual platform.

Accredited short courses: These are online courses which you can normally complete in your own time and receive an accreditation at the end of it. There are lots of different websites offering a wide range of courses so there’s something for everyone! It’s a good way to pick up a new skill, or expand your existing knowledge on something that you’re interested in.

Completing short courses can bring about so many benefits and is really import in terms of continuous professional development. As an entrepreneur there is always something new to learn, especially when we are living in a digital world with evolving technology. There are so many learning platforms available so you’re bound to find something that will interest you and help you grew as an entrepreneur is a digital world!

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