12 free online courses to help you upskill 👩‍💻

We know that coding is in high demand, but how do you learn to code?

Codeacademy and freeCodeCamp are great places to start. 

Codeacademy boasts over 50 million global users. For free, you can sign up and take intro courses. It’s perfect for beginners who want to learn how to code.

If you want more advanced skill progression, you can pay for extra courses to boost your technical skills even further.

freeCodeCamp offers comprehensive training and qualifications to anyone eager to get coding. 

They’ve helped over 100,000 graduates find jobs at companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. Could you be next?

If marketing jobs are your thing, you’re going to need Google Analytics.

Google Analytics is a crucial tool in the marketing world, used by pretty much every business. So, where can you learn Google Analytics for free?

Thankfully, Google runs a free academy. They have a host of valuable online resources that will show you the basics.

Start by trying out Google Analytics for Beginners. Eventually, you can work your way up to the Advanced Google Analytics course. This will help you learn how to customise, segment, and leverage your data.

If you’re interested in any digital graduate jobs, Google Analytics Academy should be where you start upskilling online.

You can also take the Analytics Individual Qualification (IQ) exam or the Google Ads Certification – both are recognised qualifications that cost £50 to take.

Udemy is an educational website that allows you to build custom courses. You can try IT & tech, design, business, marketing, photography, and more.

Though not all of its courses are completely free, there are over 5,000 online video courses to choose from. Just type ‘free’ into the search bar on the home page to access the free online courses for upskilling.

General Assembly provides both online and in-person workshops worldwide. They offer some of the best free courses to upskill on the market.

Check out their whole page of Free Learning Resources, including videos, events, and livestreams. It’s a beginner-friendly opportunity to develop coding, design, and marketing skills, completely free of charge.

LinkedIn Learning is an all-in-one platform with thousands of courses covering different topics. It’s one of the best free online resources to help you upskill, especially if you’re interested in marketing jobs.

Use your free month trial to learn a brand new skill from scratch – whether it’s the Foundations of Social Media Marketing, Excel Training, or Beginner-To-Expert SEO.

If you don’t have a marketing degree, starting a marketing graduate job will include lots of phrases and tools that you’re not familiar with. These digital courses will introduce some core ideas so you don’t get thrown into the deep end!

Foreign languages are amongst the most in-demand skills globally. Learning a second language in your spare time is a great way to upskill for free and increase your chances of getting a graduate job.

Duolingo is a tried-and-tested method of learning a language fast. If language lessons bored you at school, don’t worry! Duolingo is nothing like the classroom. The learning is structured like a game, with competitive features to keep you fired up. 

As free online courses and learning resources go, this is one of the most valuable ones to consider if you’re looking to boost your employability.

When you’ve become more advanced, install Readlang Web Reader on your desktop. This allows you to read web pages in another language, and translate any words you don’t know.

Check out more tips on how to learn a language.

With over 45 million users, Alison offers free online courses from world-leading experts.

There’s something for everyone. Polish your soft skills like time management and productivity. Or, boost your industry-based skills such as digital photography, web design, or customer service training. 

Alison has one of the widest selections of free courses – though bear in mind that an Alison Diploma isn’t officially recognised, so the certificate shouldn’t be included on your graduate CV. You can still list your new skill though!

Kaggle Learn is a great place to pick up data science and machine learning skills. The courses are short, hands-on, and completely free.

You can start with Python, SQL, or data visualization and move on to topics like deep learning and AI. Every lesson is interactive, so you’ll write real code and get instant feedback.

Plus, Kaggle offers datasets, coding challenges, and a huge community to help you practice. Whether you’re a beginner or levelling up, it’s a practical way to learn by doing.

Always wished you’d studied something different at university?

CourseBuffet helps you discover free online courses from top universities like MIT, Stanford, and Harvard – all in one place.

It organises courses by subject and difficulty level, making it easy to compare options across different platforms. Whether you’re learning computer science, business, or history, you can find courses that match your needs.

If you’re looking for a structured way to learn without the high cost of tuition, CourseBuffet is a great resource to explore.

Want to get better at SEO? Moz has free guides and resources to help.

Start with their Beginner’s Guide to SEO – a simple, step-by-step way to learn how search engines work. You’ll pick up key skills like keyword research, link building, and ranking higher on Google.

For more learning, Moz offers articles, videos, and free tools to test what you’ve learned.

If you’re looking to grow your career with SEO, Moz is a great place to start.

Highbrow is a simple way to learn when you’re short on time. Sign up for a free course, and you’ll get a short, 5-minute lesson emailed to you each day.

Courses cover topics like business, productivity, science, and history. Each one lasts 10 days, making it easy to pick up new skills without a big commitment.

If you want to keep learning but have a busy schedule, Highbrow makes it easy to fit into your day.

Figma Design Basics is a free resource to help you get started with UI and UX design. It covers essential topics like layout, typography, and colour. It’s perfect for beginners or anyone looking to improve their design skills.

The lessons are simple, visual, and hands-on, so you can learn by doing. Since Figma is a free design tool, you can practice everything right away.

If you’re new to design or want to sharpen your skills, this is a great place to start.