Finding Free Resources for Your Training Library

Looking to boost your administrative skills for (#NoCost) #free? I’ve compiled a list of no-cost training resources that can help sharpen your administrative abilities and take your career to the next level. Whether you’re looking to improve your software expertise, communication, or organizational skills, these tools are a great starting point: #General #OfficeAdministration • Microsoft Learn: Free training on Microsoft Office Suite. • Google Workspace & Gmail Training: Tutorials on Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, and more. • Alison: Online courses on office administration. • EdApp: Microlearning courses for office skills. Communication and Customer Service • Coursera (Free Audit): Courses on business communication and etiquette. • LinkedIn for Learning (Free Trial): Admin-focused customer service and communication courses. Time Management and Organization • Udemy Free Courses: Time management and prioritization skills. • Skillshare (Free Trial): Short lessons on productivity tools. Management and Leadership Basics • OpenLearn Openlearn by The Open University: Leadership and professional development. • HubSpot Academy: Free training on project management and productivity. Professional Tools and Software • TypingClub: Improve typing speed and accuracy. • Trello or Asana Tutorials: Learn project management tools for free. These resources are self-paced and perfect for anyone eager to grow their skills without breaking the bank. Pro Tip: Many of these platforms offer certifications you can showcase on your LinkedIn profile. Let’s grow together—drop a comment (I am looking for the interactive resources share and feedback - everything helps) if you know other free learning opportunities or if you’d like the direct links. #ProfessionalDevelopment #AdministrativeSkills #FreeLearning #CareerGrowth #togetherwegotthis

Veterans and military spouses: You don’t need to spend thousands to build new skills. Here are 10 places where you can access legitimate, high-quality training and certifications completely free: ✅ 1. ACT Now Education Comprehensive free access to certifications across industries (PMP, CompTIA, SHRM, etc), career bootcamps, job prep tools, and more. Built by and for veterans and spouses. ✅ 2. Boots to Books Quarterly scholarships of up to $1,000 to pay for a training or professional certification of your choice that aligns with your career goals, biannual textbook scholarships for full-time students whose benefits are being exceeded, and monthly scholarships for Google Career Certifications across industries. ✅ 3. The PenFed Foundation for Military Heroes Grants "Military Heroes Individual Grants are awarded to veterans, active military, National Guard, and Reserve members for community leadership and successful employment expenses that they are unable to afford on their own. Examples include participation in conferences, trainings and certification expenses." Additionally, they have a scholarship with The Culinary Institute of America, view their website for more. ✅ 4. O2O – via Institute for Veterans and Military Families - IVMF Onward to Opportunity (O2O) provides free access to an entire training library and one certification attempt (PMP, Sec+). Covers IT, business, and project management pathways. ✅ 5. Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA) Intensive, cohort-based training for veterans pursuing careers in cloud and software development. Zero cost. ✅ 6. Amazon AWS Educate Free cloud computing curriculum. Veterans can qualify for certification test reimbursement. ✅ 7. Oracle Veteran Academy Free Oracle Cloud training and professional certifications for veterans and military spouses. ✅ 8. LinkedIn Premium Veterans get 12 months free, which includes full LinkedIn Learning access with 10,000+ courses. ✅ 9. Splunk Work+ Free Foundations 1 and 2 training for veterans and spouses, useful for data analytics and cyber roles. ✅ 10. Fortinet Veterans Program Free cybersecurity training with certifications (NSE 1, 2, and optional 4) for qualifying military members. If you're transitioning, job hunting, or exploring a new field, don’t leave these resources on the table, and don't let your peers miss out on them - SHARE! P.S. If you want to make whatever training you do about 100x more effective, connect with several mentors in the field you're training in as you complete it - even for one-off conversations. These calls help you orient your training to the real world, build a network in your target industry, and refine your resume and interview before it really counts. Plus, you can do unlimited free mentorship calls with folks at leading companies on MilMentor which makes it EASY! Heck, you could talk to someone at Amazon, Oracle, or Microsoft on MilMentor while you did their training all while never paying a cent!

💡 Back to School isn't just for our Kids 💡 The market has been tough lately—there are so many talented professionals with strong backgrounds looking for work, but not enough great roles to go around. When you’re unemployed and 💸 money is tight, it can be stressful to think about upskilling. The good news? There are free resources out there to help you keep your skills sharp and competitive. I recently learned something I wish more job seekers knew: if you have a public library card, you can access LinkedIn Learning courses for free! 📚✨ 👉 If you’re in Minneapolis or the greater Hennepin County area: Get a Hennepin County Library card (if you don’t already have one). Go to the Hennepin County Library website, search for LinkedIn Learning, and log in with: Library ID: hclib Your library card number & PIN Browse thousands of professional courses at no cost! For anyone looking to strengthen their Agile/Scrum skills, here are two strong picks: ✅ Learning Path: “Prepare for the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Certification” – a curated sequence to get CSM-ready. ✅ “Cert Prep: Scrum Master” (Kelley O’Connell) – exam-focused prep with practice resources. 💪 Sometimes the best way to stand out in a competitive market is to keep investing in yourself—and free resources like this can make a huge difference. Has anyone else used LinkedIn Learning through their library? What courses have been the most valuable to you?