Online Courses For the Unemployed
An innovative government program in Connecticut will allow 1,000 jobless residents in that state to take free online courses. The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board and the Connecticut Department of Labor will be granting 90-day "study licenses" that allow job seekers to access an online learning portal containing 5,000 courses in areas of study including Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, business skills, information technology and health care.
The goal of the program is to create new opportunities to help the unemployed who may be facing skills gap issues as they try to transition back into the workforce. Each license is designed for users to proceed at their own pace, and they can lead to certifications and even college credit for some learners. The state labor department plans to contact those who have been unemployed for a long period of time and give them priority for the licenses.