The 21st century economy moves fast. Technology has connected us across the globe, information is shared in real-time, and business leaders must make decisions more quickly so their businesses can compete, survive, and grow. The constant changes and rapid transformations have made it necessary for everyone, especially working professionals to stay ahead of times and keep themselves updated in their professional knowledge.
With the arrival of the internet, the concept of educational portals was born. An education portal is a web based portal which enables students to learn new subjects or update themselves on subjects they are already pursuing in schools. Although e-learning created a huge impact on the education world, the need for creating openings for higher education still remained.
Professional development is the activity of enhancing one’s professional capabilities and knowledge, mainly through self-learning and practical experiences. If you don’t update yourself, you will miss out many possible chances of career growth and improvement. Here are some online tools to find free opportunities for professional development.
- Stanford’s Centre for Professional Development
Stanford University is ranked among the top universities around the world. Stanford has a special portal which provides free online videos and lectures for people who want to increase their professional knowledge. Apart from pre-recorded videos, the portal also features on-demand lectures. It also provides live webinars conducted by experts from specific industries and also from the Stanford faculty.
- Yale Open Courseware
Another globally recognized university based in the U.S., Yale also provides free online resources for professional development in HD videos on its dedicated web portal. The portal has pre recorded lectures on economics, biomedical engineering, English, history, psychology and many other subjects. The portal also provides reading assignments and problems to practise on.
- MIT Open Courseware
The world’s most renowned technological institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also has a dedicated portal to help those who want to enhance their professional knowledge. The portal offers many free courses along with lecture notes, assignments, quizzes and other resources.
- Notre Dame Open Courseware
Notre Dame University has a portal for professionals willing to improve their professional knowledge. It offers courses in more than 20 areas of studies such as architecture, civil engineering, mathematics, history and theology along with necessary study materials and resources. Students can also earn certificates on completing certain courses
The Internet has also opened up gates for better networking through social sites such as Linked In. Taking part in online discussion groups and forums is also a good way to strengthen your professional development. True professionals never end their pursuit for more knowledge as they continue to strive towards excellence.
