Whanganui Libraries now has almost 500 free courses.
Photo / 123RF
Whanganui Libraries now has almost 500 free courses.
Photo / 123RF
Whanganui Libraries hopes the almost 500 free courses it has collated can upskill individuals and provide employers with additional staff training.
And a Whanganui recruitment specialist says such courses are valuable for filling gaps in CVs.
The new "learning resources" section of the Whanganui Library website has just under 500 free courses - from business and time-management, to audio editing and trades courses.
"We know there's a lot of people looking to change jobs and upskill themselves, and I see this as being really useful in that," Whanganui Libraries learning and discovery librarian Rachel Smith said.
"Say if an employee needs to learn a new software package - employers could either send them to Wellington on a course for a day or two, or they could get them to work at their own pace on an online course through LinkedIn Learning or one of the other sites, which is much more affordable."
Outsourced Personnel owner and recruitment specialist Louise Bird said she was often recommending to candidates that they should be studying.
"I've been there, raising a young family, but it's always good to keep your hand in and doing something."
Bird said that was because recruiters and employers didn't like to see big gaps on CVs, and some of the courses from the resource learning page could help fill those.
"It's just about keeping skills current, and the discipline of study. It's a commitment - you need to be reliable. You need to turn up and do the work."
She said even though it wasn't a qualification, people could put certain courses from the library's resource learning page on their CV.
"So these courses can also be a good way to ease back into the workforce," Bird said.
"It can a big commitment for people to do full-time or even part-time study, so these types of online courses give the flexibility a lot of people need to work around life."
Bird said LinkedIn Learning was especially good because of the software and technology courses.
"Most jobs require a degree of skill in Microsoft Office 365, so that's a really good starting point which you can do through LinkedIn Learning."
Outsourced Personnel owner and recruitment specialist, Louise Bird.
Smith said the idea had been in the works since 2021, and came out of a need to collate several resources in one place, including courses run at the library, online learning resources, and a list of local training providers for people who might want person-to-person training.
"Libraries have an important role to play in supporting people to learn, whether that be through the books in our collections, or through the access to online resources we provide, or through courses we run.
Smith said some of the courses are entry-level, such as the Android phone and tablet essential training, while others were more specialised.
"Another advantage of online learning is, in many cases, people can study in their own native language. We've had a couple of people do courses in French and Japanese."
She said high numbers of people used the library still, but she saw fewer people getting out non-fiction books.
On Thursday, Alexander Library are hosting a session on how to use the online learning resources as part of the nationwide Festival of Adult Learning, from 4-5pm.
