The Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative is teaming up with state governments in the U.S. and the leadership of countries around the world to offer 4,300 courses and 400 specializations from top universities and corporations, including Amazon and Google.

The Department of Employment and Workfore has partnered with Coursera, a leading online learning platform, to launch Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative in South Carolina. This initiative is intended for worker retraining and reskilling for those displaced from work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 4,000 courses and certifications are available on Coursera, all designed by the world’s leading university and industry educators, covering various skillsets in Business, Technology, Data Science, Health, Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities. Some of the courses include Professional Certificates, like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, designed specifically to train people to return to work in high-demand jobs. Instead of having to pay $399 per year to access Coursera’s platform, this opportunity can help to bolster resumes and earn professional certificates without paying a penny.

“This is an incredible opportunity for hard working South Carolinians who are still facing employment challenges in the wake of COVID-19. Not only can someone take advantage of these courses to professionally propel them forward, we are so pleased to be able to partner with Coursera so the financial burden doesn’t fall on the shoulders of the claimant. We thank Coursera for providing another way to support the State Workforce Development Board’s priority to reskill and upskill our state’s workforce,” states Michelle Paczynski, Assistant Executive Director of Workforce Development at the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

Need to Know Facts

• Unemployment Insurance participants furloughed or laid off due to COVID-19 are invited to participate and receive free access to the Coursera platform.
• DEW is communicating specific registration information about the opportunity by email sent through the claimant portal.
• To date, nearly 4,000 South Carolinians have registered to receive access to Coursera through the link provided.

The top classes in which South Carolina claimants are currently enrolled include:

• Excel Skills for Business
• Technical Support Fundamentals (Information Technology)
• Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing
• Introduction to Web Development
• Programming for Everybody
• Work Smarter, Not Harder: Time Management for Personal and Professional Productivity
• Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel
• Better Business Writing in English

Classes are offered in several languages and are accessible by smart phones and tablets.

Need to Know Deadlines:

• Claimants must register with Coursera by October 31, 2020.
• There is no limit to the number of courses an individual can take, but courses must be completed before the end of the calendar year, December 31, 2020.