Are you searching for free online courses and training you can take from the comfort of your home? Look no further than the online resources offered by immigrant-serving organizations, which are working tirelessly on behalf of their clients to provide a range of services, from career pathways supports to retraining programs.
We’ve compiled a list of several resources, classes, and articles available online that you might find useful. (Note: This list is not exhaustive.)
Start with the Immigrant Learning Center’s massive resource list:
- The Immigrant Learning Center offers a wide variety of immigrant- and refugee-centric resources in a COVID-19 world. This list—which includes job search resources as well as those for improving one’s English—is arguably the most comprehensive COVID-19-centric list we’ve seen.
Learn about resources in your neighborhood:
- Aunt Bertha labels itself the social care network. Simply type your zip code into the search bar and learn about job searching, job training, furthering your education, and more.
Check out resources in your state:
- Each of the 50 states (and Washington, D.C.) offers different resources and approaches to get their residents back to work or on track to pursue their education. Find out what job search, career advancement, and educational resources are available in your state. Also available in Spanish.
Explore English language programs:
- The Boston Public Library hosts a series of virtual English as a second language (ESL) classes each week. From preschool story time to intermediate ESL classes, there’s something for everyone who’s acquired any level of English language proficiency.
- Memrise.com is an app for English language learners (ELLs) who would like to hold casual, organic conversations with native speakers of English. A free, basic version is available.
- For other options, check out Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab. The lab has been generating quizzes and other activities for ELLs for more than two decades, and offers listening activities for all skill levels.
Dive into Job Resources:
- This UnidosUS video series is aimed at Latinos, who have been hit especially hard by COVID-19. The series includes a video about jobs and housing, but covers other topics as well.
- The Muse has a series of featured articles on work and COVID-19. Topics range from remote onboarding, what to do if you’re laid off, telework productivity schedules, and much more.
- New York City has produced a resources for immigrants section on its website, nyc.gov during COVID-19. The webpage covers everything from worker support and financial assistance to small business support. The resources and advice range from broad to granular. For example, there are instructions on postponing student loan payments for 60 days, as well as how business owners might be eligible for grants if they do not receive federal loans set aside for small businesses.
Related Reading
Learn online via Harvard University:
- Harvard University is currently offering 97 free online courses. The university has classes on everything from world religions to software programming.
Keep Reading for More Helpful WES Advisor Resources
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