By Carly Batist

Photos by CUNY Media

CUNY recently launched an “Upskilling” Initiative to provide its students with access to e-learning platforms and online skills development resources. While CUNY put forth a 90-day challenge, the website and access to the trainings will be available for at least the remainder of the year. There is no limit to how many of these courses or trainings you can do, and they are all free for the CUNY community, including GC students. While some of these are aimed more towards undergraduate students, there are definitely useful resources for Master’s and Doctoral students as well! We’ve highlighted some of those here, which may be relevant to your current research, a job field you want to move into, or just a skill you’d like to hone.

This is a great time to begin developing or further advance your skillset while we continue to work from home and engage in a virtual world (particularly if the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted your labwork, fieldwork, or research progression).

To gain access to these and other resources, simply fill out the registration form on the CUNY Upskilling website and you will receive an email with further information.

Data Analysis, Programming, and IT

Cisco

• Intro to Python: Python is a very versatile, object-oriented programming language used by numerous companies across job fields.
• Intro to Cybersecurity: This course explores cyber trends, threats, and security. You’ll learn how to protect your personal privacy online while gaining additional insight on the challenges that organizations face today. You’ll also earn a Networking Academy badge upon course completion.
• Intro to the Internet of Things (IoT): Learn how the Internet of Things is changing the world and the skills needed to start a career in this emerging tech field.

Coursera

• Relational Database and SQL: In the introductory guided project, you will get hands-on experience working with a relational database using MySQL Workbench from Oracle. The basic knowledge you learn will allow you to work with any other relational database. In the advanced course, you will gain hands-on experience and learn about advanced SQL topics such as stored procedures, tiggers, functions, common table expressions, and recursion. You should have an intermediate level of experience with SQL for this course.
• Data Visualization with Python: Data visualization brings meaning to numbers that help people understand it. Python is an open-source (free) programming language that has libraries, which can be used to read and make useful graphics to present the data.
• Git for Developers Using Github: This course will give you a first look at using git to manage your code’s version control, as well as offering an introduction to the Github tools you’ll need.
• Getting Started with AWS Machine Learning: Machine learning (ML) is one of the fastest growing areas in technology and a highly sought-after skillset in today’s job market. This course will teach you how to get started with AWS Machine Learning.
• EIT Digital Security and Privacy for Big Data: In this two-part course, you will discover cryptographic principles and mechanisms to manage access controls in your Big Data system. You’ll be ready to plan your next Big Data project successfully, ensuring that all security related issues are under control.
• User Experience Design: This guided project will teach you how to create key user experience (UX) tools. At the end of this course you will have created a user research spreadsheet, journey map, persona, and design presentation.

Entrepreneurship, Start-Ups, and Business

Google

• Grow Your Small Business: Use these lessons to do market research, write a business plan, prepare for financing, build your business online, and complete other activities to develop your small business.
• Digital Marketing: Learn how customers find your business online with this introductory overview of marketing with Google. Discover Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Smart Campaigns in Google Ads, and other digital tools to grow your online presence.
• Data Analytics: Learn best practices and analyze trends about how customers engage with businesses online. Then, turn these insights into well-informed, actionable decisions.

Cisco

• Entrepreneurship: This course is made to jump-start your ideas and arm you with the right skills to take the next step with more self-confidence.

HP Life

• Effective Presentations: Learn how to create slide presentations that are well-designed and targeted to particular audiences through the use of effective text, images, and examples.
• Design Thinking: Learn basic concepts to identify, define, explore, generate, and test ideas to solve difficult problems while developing a working knowledge of the design thinking process.
• Effective Business Websites: Learn how to build a user-friendly website that meets your goals and effectively reaches your target audience using web design software.
• 3D Printing: Learn how 3D printing can enable you to design, prototype, and manufacture new products; how to 3D print; the skills required; and the resources available to you.
• Social Entrepreneurship: Discover how to build a business idea that will have social impact.

New trainings and platforms may be added to this CUNY upskilling initiative in the future, so keep checking their website for updates!