Workforce Learning

Resources for Workforce Learning

The COVID-19 Pandemic has created turmoil for people and organizations around the world.  Millions are out of work, and millions more are quarantined at home.  Yet, as the tragedy continues, people who have lost their jobs can gain valuable skills through online learning.  And companies can help their workers use their time at home to engage in remote learning. 

Beyond today’s crisis, the need to gain new skills never stops.  New graduates may need additional skills to get good jobs.  Once employed, they will need to learn new skills many times during a 40 or 50 year career.  Technologies change, job requirements change, companies change their employment mix, or workers decide to change occupations.  All of these forces require workers gain new skills rapidly.

MIT and Open Learning have developed a variety of courses, tools, research, and collaborations that can give workers the right skills, at the right time, in the right way – at scale, as well as tools for business leaders to be able to rapidly adapt to ever changing needs.

the right skills, at the right time, in the right way – at scale.

Here are some ways that MIT and Open Learning are helping workers, employers, and others to improve workforce learning:

For Workers and Learners

  • MIT xPro: Digital courses on technology topics from model-driven design to quantum computing, plus leadership for technical professionals.
  • MIT Professional Education:   More than 60 work-related courses for adult learners in just the next four months.  Topics range from additive manufacturing to crisis management to real estate.
  • MIT Sloan Executive Education in the next four months, offering nearly 50 two-to-five day courses covering a broad range of topics in management and leadership, strategy and innovation, and technology, operations, and value chain management.
  • MITx MicroMasters® Programs: Earn an MIT credential online that has value in itself and may qualify you for an accelerated master’s degree program at MIT or other universities.
  • Courses from MITx on edX: MITx offers massive, open, online courses (MOOCs) through the edX platform. Learn for free or earn a certificate of completion for a low fee, with these courses directly from the MIT classroom.
  • MIT OpenCourseWare: Develop in-demand skills and extend your knowledge on your own schedule, with materials from 2,500 courses covering all topics taught at MIT.

For Workforce Learning Leaders and Providers

  • J-WEL Workforce Learning: Working with schools, companies, governments, and non-profits to build conversations, content, and collaborations to improve workforce learning around the world.
  • Human Skills: Although STEAM skills are important for many occupations, they can age quickly. It is the uniquely human skills that remain valuable even as technology skills depreciate.  J-WEL and Open Learning have launched a new effort aimed at understanding, teaching, and assessing Human Skills.
  • The Transformer Chief Learning Officer  Now more than ever, CLOs must adopt a new way of creating and delivering learning opportunities for their people. Based on a new Harvard Business Review article (https://hbr.org/2020/01/the-transformer-clo) this webinar will help you how to improve the way your organization digitizes, atomizes and personalizes learning to so your employees and your organization can thrive.
  • Competencies as the new currency Learners don’t know what credentials are valuable. Employers don’t know potential employees know.  Educators aren’t sure if or what credentials are leading to good jobs.  A competency-based approach can help all three to communicate better about jobs and skills.
  • Making Workforce Education Work  New educational technologies and models for workforce education show promise for helping non-college-educated workers to connect with good, high-paying jobs. This webinar shares data and case examples that can help you meet the challenge in your area.

For Everybody Facing the Urgent Challenges of COVID-19

  • Engaging students online four experts share practices to improve teaching as you move courses online.
  • Teach Remote Resources, tools, and support for teaching remotely
  • Simple tips for remote meetings:  Easy and effective practices to make your virtual meetings run more smoothly.
  • https://jwel-mit-edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/assets/video/science-learning-webinar-1116-excerpt
  • Covid-19 Rapid Innovation Dashboard Resources and opportunities for individuals and groups to develop solutions for urgent challenges related to Covid-19