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Let's face it, whether its COVID-19, being sick in general, a staycation or telecommuting, you're going to have down time at home and hours here or there where you have nothing to do. So why not expand your brain and maybe your skill set with some additional training online? These days there is a plethora of classes and training tools to take advantage of, and they definitely don't cost hundreds of dollars to take. In fact some are free and many are extremely low cost. And with the entire world moving into online, digital communications, commerce, work and coordination, it stands to reason that one of the best skills to learn involves knowing how to work with, find and manipulate large amounts of data quickly for decision-making and information product generation.
It doesn't matter what industry you're in, big data is taking over. Whether you're tracking market behavior and listings in real estate or the movement of groceries in retail stores, data tracking and data mining are becoming everyday skills most people need to have. So here are some courses that are extremely low cost, online and ready to give you a solid footing in the data science world:
Stacksocial - As online consolidator platform of tech deals, they have sizable library of deals on tech training. Go to their classes, type in "data" in the search tool, and you will be presented with classes ranging from standard Excel and Access packages to exotic training in Spark, Python, multi-tool training packages, data mining, and even computer forensics. Prices are very affordable ranging from $12 to $99.
Cybrary - Designed specifically for tech training, Cybrary is an online library of course trainings on all tech skills, including heavy advanced courses. You will find training in subjects like data science, cryptography, cloud data security, and even certification training for the professional data exams needed for tech professionals. Classes range from free to hundreds of dollars, but there are plenty to pick from that won't cost you a penny.
Udemy - Long known as the website where anyone with a PowerPoint could teach a class, this platform used to be a bit of joke in its early years. However, a lot has changed, and now Udemy is stock fully of a very detailed, advanced courses in finance data science or just basic data use for the non-tech person. The bonus is that most classes are only between $10-$20.
Udacity - This offering positions itself on the higher end of tech training in data, gearing learning paths for completion in specific data roles ranging from data scientists to artificial intelligence management. The costs are not cheap, but the programs are the nearest thing to a college degree without enrolling in a university.
Coursera and EDX - Both of these platforms provide a cornucopia of classes, but the they are all taught by university professors. You can audit them for free, but if you want a certificate of training then you have to pay the fee. Costs range from a low of $49 to as much as $1,000 for a specialization.
Bottom line, there are lots of offerings both free and low cost to get your foot into data training and get an edge in the workplace. Everything will be about information in the next few years. Now is the time to put yourself in the driver's seat versus the audience.
