Apps you didn’t know you needed

Learn a new language for free on….

Duolingo

Nowadays, some companies require you to have knowledge of another international language other than English.

The app has over 24 languages to be learnt from French, Chinese and Irish to Swahili.  Language teachers are using it in their classrooms to enhance their lessons with lessons so easy a school going child can comprehend and adults can get to choose the type of content depending on the language they speak and their level of knowledge of the language.

Learn digital skills for free on …

Google

Digital Skills for Africa and Grow with Google are available on your browser and not on an application. Making it even easier and cheaper.  All you need is a functional google account to register. Depending on your choice of program either beginner, intermediate or advanced, you could get a free shareable certification that is recognised at the work place.

Learn new things for free on…

Khan Academy

This app can be accessed both on and offline. The free app is an extension of the website with access to the same variety of content at over 10,000 videos in different educational subjects. These are mostly topics taught in the high school level which can be of great help if there is need to jog your memory before pursuing a tertiary course. There are also more in-depth classes of things that are fun like Art history and other humanities.

Learn professional courses on…

Coursera

With over 2700 courses taught by professionals from recognised institutions such as Stanford and Google; this app is highly ranked by professionals. It offers the free or paid options from topical courses, specialisation to degrees. There are courses that are available at all times and those that are available seasonally. You can also interact with other learners and post questions to your instructor. Certificates for these courses are paid for and the price depends on your program.

Get career coaching and expert taught courses on…

LinkedIn Learning/Lynda

This is one of those apps for people who purpose to constantly improve their skills and be in the know of what interests them. It offers guidance from something as simple as figuring out your next career move to more complex topics in different fields like Business Intelligence. The LinkedIn extension offers a variety of courses that show up on your LinkedIn profile upon completion. You will also get certificates for some of the essential courses taught by professionals. This app is free for the first trial month and $29 (KES 2900) per month thereafter for an unlimited number of courses.

Get certification in art based courses on…

Udemy

This has one of the largest database of information currently at over 80,000 video courses taught by expert instructors in 50 languages. Its programmes are highly recommended for the arts and practical skills such as drawing, music, design, photography, writing, health and fitness to DIY production. Once you enroll for a course; free or paid, you will have lifetime access to it and their prices are budget friendly from as little as $10 - $16 for the complex tier’s of courses. Courses can be completed in a day, a week or a month and are not restricted to time; their certificates of completion help demonstrate your accomplishments but are not used in place of formal institution certification.