Discover free learning beyond our own library

FutureLearn

Short, practical courses from universities and industry experts on leadership, wellbeing and digital skills.

With hundreds of cutting-edge courses to choose from, enjoy an on-demand learning experience with FutureLearn that’s totally online and available at any time of day or night. Many courses are offered on a commercial basis, but go to this page and you'll find they are currently offering over 145 free courses in subjects as diverse as “How to succeed at Writing Applications", to “Leading Culturally Diverse Teams in the Workplace”.

You can choose how you learn on our online short courses -0 Learn for free, Upgrade (giving extended access, access to course tests and a certificate of achievement), or buy Unlimited (access to all courses for a year)

Coursera

Generally speaking, Coursera courses are free to audit but if you want to access graded assignments or earn a Course Certificate, you will need to pay. ClassCentral has done a great job in researching these. Categories include:

• Personal Development
• Health & Medicine
• Science
• Humanities
• Computer Science
• Mathematics
• Programming
• Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Business
• Art & Design
• Data Science
• Education & Teaching

Google Digital Garage

Digital skills have fast become essential everyday skills. Time and time again, we have seen them enabling people to unlock new potential and be more resilient. That's why Google is committed to helping people grow their digital skills, careers, or businesses using technology.

Since 2015, Google has helped train 800,000 people across the UK, working with governments and industry experts to develop tools and training tailored to the needs of local communities. We believe that by working together we can help our communities prepare for the future, adapt to changing landscapes and build stronger digital economies.

LinkedIn Learning

Professional development content across communication, management, productivity and leadership essentials.

Paid membership is required, though a 30-day free trial is usually available

Bespoke learning journeys are created from individual Linkedin profiles.

edX

High-quality courses from leading universities covering strategy, behavioural skills and technology.

This is a commercial platform, founded in 2012 by Harvard and MIT professors, edX offers online courses and certificates from leading institutions. Learners interested in furthering their education or ongoing professional development can access university-backed courses, certificate programs, and microcredentials that fit their schedule and budget.

Alison

Alison believes that free education, more than anything, has the power to break through boundaries and transform lives.

Alison is one of the world’s largest free learning platforms for education and skills training. It is a for-profit social enterprise dedicated to making it possible for anyone, to study anything, anywhere, at any time, for free online, at any subject level. Through our mission we are a catalyst for positive social change, creating opportunity, prosperity, and equality for everyone.

Alison is free of charge to you. But it’s still a business – albeit a socially-focused one. We are a social enterprise making our money through advertising, merchandise, and the sale of Certificates and Diplomas, should a graduate choose to buy one.

Course categories include IT, Languages, Sales & Marketing, Management, Health, Business, Engineering & Construction, Personal Development and Teaching & Academics. It comes with a useful Career Guide that will help you discover more about your career path and identify the exact courses you need to excel in your career.

OpenLearn

Free educational content from The Open University covering leadership, psychology and practical work skills.

Arguably the Rolls Royce of free-to-access learning, this is the destination for over 1,000 free development courses, covering Money & Business, Education & Development, Health, Sports & Psychology, History & The Arts, Languages, Nature & Environment, Science, Maths & Technology and Society, Politics & Law.

OpenLearn works with other organisations by providing free courses and resources that support its mission of opening up educational opportunities to more people in more places. Although there is no recognised qualification to gain, learners can earn a free digital badge or Statement of Participation as evidence of learning to share with employers, friends and family.

When you have created an OU account and enrolled on a course, the course will be added to your profile. Your profile will display the courses you have completed and keep track of your progress. Within your profile you can also download Statements of participation or badges as they are awarded. You can create a free OU account in minutes, then sign in to OpenLearn and enrol on as many free courses as you like.

Microsoft Learn

Hands-on learning for digital productivity, data, AI and modern workplace capability.

In Microsoft Learn, you can discover AI, Azure, and Copilot essentials, take in-demand training, ask a question, share knowledge, and learn together, earn credentials, get student certifications and much more

Businessballs

Free training in marketing, sales, customer service and inbound business growth.

BusinessBalls is the free and ethical home of all things leadership, management, and personal effectiveness. All of their resources are developed by experts and designed to make you more effective as a person. We also have over 10,000 quiz questions, and interactive quizzes.

Reed Courses

More than 86,000 courses in over 900 subjects, many of these are paid-for, however, there is a good (and changing) selection of free courses that are worth exploring - often via partner providers.

Search for free courses on the Reed Courses home page.

Simplilearn

The Resources pages, where you can explore insights, tips, and articles written by experts in a range of professional domains. Content on:

• Data Science & Business Analytics
• AI & Machine Learning
• Project Management
• Cyber Security
• Cloud Computing
• DevOps
• Business and Leadership
• Quality Management
• Software Development
• Agile and Scrum
• IT Service and Architecture
• Digital Marketing
• Big Data
• Career Fast-track
• Enterprise
• Other Segments (Salesforce, SAP, Oracle and others)

TED

Thought-provoking talks on leadership, communication, resilience and innovation from global experts.

TED is a non-profit that believes powerful ideas, powerfully presented, move us: to feel something, to think differently, to take action.

A global community that fosters dialogue, builds connections and creates impact.

Barclays Life Skills

Free online courses and resources to help you develop essential life skills.

A free employability and financial education programme, to support people to develop the skills, confidence and connections they need to get into, progress in work and manage their money.

LifeSkills since it was set up in 2013, has supported millions of participants and placed thousands into work through collaboration with the education sector, respected charities, and the business community.

Lloyds Bank Academy

Lloyds Bank Academy was created to skill the nation. It helps people and businesses across the UK to achieve their financial goals. Through:

• On-demand learning on our website.
• Face-to-face training sessions in local branches and community spaces.
• Interactive webinars.

It can help you to:

• Get started online and with digital skills.
• Manage and make the most of your money.
• Get the right job for you and learn the skills you need for a digital workplace.
• Enable your business to become more productive and efficient using digital skills.