How about boosting your earning potential by learning a new skill - for free? Use Moneymagpie’s guide and find courses that will cost you absolutely nothing.

There are many online courses available and many will charge you. However, there are colleges, universities and voluntary organisations out there that are prepared to share knowledge and skills over the internet without demanding a fee. Take advantage of these opportunities to give your confidence a boost and improve your CV.

Online courses

BBC Online

The BBC offers free online courses on a range of subjects including languages, media and first aid which you can follow at your own pace.

Their language section includes games, videos, dictionaries and online tests to help you gauge your level. You can even follow the BBC’s own online soap operas in different languages.

For many of their courses the BBC provides extensive links to its news, documentaries and radio programs to help you on your way.

Vision2Learn

This site offers over 20 courses including computer skills, sports coaching, money skills and business skills and can lead to a recognised NVQ qualification.

Vision2Learn courses are funded by the Learning and Skills Council which means that the courses are normally free of charge to anyone who:

• Is over the age of 16
• Currently lives in England
• Has been ordinarily resident in the EU/UK for 3 years or more, as long as this residency has been for purposes other than full-time study.

You’ll also receive help from an online tutor employed by a college in your local area; once you have logged on to your study area, you can contact your tutor by using V-mail - vision2Learn’s own internal messaging system.

Open University

Run by the Open University, OpenLearn is a free online learning site which uses materials taken from Open University courses, at both undergraduate and graduate level - and you don’t have to be or become an Open University student to access it.

These materials do not count towards an Open University qualification, but are pretty useful if you want to enhance your current learning or if you just want to get an insight into what the OU has to offer.

You do not have to register, but doing so will allow you to tailor your learning to your needs. Courses covered include the arts, law, business, languages, IT and science and are set at four levels – beginner, intermediate, advanced and masters.

There are no tutors supplied with the courses, but each unit has a discussion forum which you can use to chat with others on the course and ask questions.

Other websites

To do free online computer courses in Word, Excel, Powerpoint and web design, try Home and Learn. This site offers free online tuition and you can register to take online tests. They’ll even send you a framed certificate if you pass! IT website Beginners charges for most of its courses and course materials, but helpfully they also have links to many free online IT tutorials. These range from Microsoft Word to Java programming.

Their ‘free tutorials page’ allows you to enter your chosen IT topic in the box marked ‘Search Our Other Tutorials’. The results will display lots of links at the bottom of the page to free online tutorials.

Lastly, the Email College offers access to over 200 free online courses covering business, personal development, information skills, health and writing.

University lecture podcasts

Not many of us can attend (or afford to attend) lectures at prestigious universities. The good news, however, is that many of them are now broadcasting their lectures as podcasts and mp3 recordings and allowing anyone to download and listen to them – for free.

These universities use something called OpenCourseWare (OCW) to allow access to lectures and learning materials to anyone with an internet connection and the sharing of podcasts is not only advantageous to those who want to learn; it builds global awareness of separate institutions and potentially improves the recruitment of students into these universities.

There are no course credits provided and you won’t be able to ask any questions but it’s still a great way to expand your knowledge in your chosen field or supplement your existing course. The courses cover both undergraduate and graduate level. So, now you can hear what professors at Oxford, Harvard and Yale have to say about everything from political philosophy to genetics – for free.

Tutored courses

You may prefer the idea of learning in a ‘classroom’ where you can learn face to face with a tutor and are free to ask questions and unfortunately there aren’t many options available. Emagister, however, offer a selection of free adult courses such as Customer Service and Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Literacy and Numeracy for speakers of English as a second language. You can view the full list of courses here.

Answer English, a company that gives free advice to language students studying abroad, is offering a free monthly English class to help students with the everyday English language. Classes take place in various locations including Brighton, Cambridge, London and Newcastle as Edinburgh, Dublin and Malta.

Happy learning!

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Andrew

Monday, 9 November 2009 17:55:30 GMT

We are recruiting.... Earnings of £70 - £1300pw part-time or more full-time. Full details avalable,, just watch our FREE online DVD st: http://www.View2EarnMore.co.uk .Applicants must be over 18 and living in the UK. Access to Internet and Car helpfull....

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MR X

Friday, 6 November 2009 12:54:28 GMT

The government needs to develop the educational system and academic ability of the future of this country, youngsters that I come into contact in my job and in general are not educated to a level that is sufficient for even the most basic of jobs. Courses should be supplied and more of the tax payers money invested in these people who we will be relying on to hopefully contribute to a successful future for this country. MR BROWN does not prioritise what is right in the list of what the public regard as priorities for the UK. The economy and getting people back into employment is the priority that he needs to focus on. If something is not done the future prospects look even bleaker. MR BROWN should not be pouring money down the drain and placing a financial burden on this country and it's taxpayers by funding a losing battle in AFGHANISTAN. CHARITY STARTS AT HOME MR BROWN!!! Invest our money wisely in the people of the UK.

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The Debt Collector

Friday, 6 November 2009 11:43:52 GMT

This is fine on paper, but the reality is very different. Currently Employers are more interested in the computer software and the buttons which you can push that persons who actually know what they are doing. This is particularly true in the finance and banking sector, where it appears that the computers runs the staff, not the staff controlling the computer. There are so many tpyes of programmes on the market, there are too many courses which you would need to attend. Also many of the courses are expensive, and infact there is little funding from the State for the Courses which are really important to you. It is interesting that the Answer English company are offering overseas workers English lessons, not teaching our own population other languages. More to the point their own language as the standard of English and usage, particularly in letters is falling fast. Is it Gordon Brown's intention that there will be no work for any native English?

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