City of Newcastle makes thousands of online training courses available free to community

Thousands of courses are available to Novocastrians to upskill during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newcastle Libraries members can access free of charge more than 8,000 e-learning courses and 13,000 video tutorials on topics such as resume writing, skills for retraining, and how to start a business, via social networking site LinkedIn’s online learning platform, Lynda.

Courses will be curated for strategic business development opportunities, including digital literacy for small business, online retail, digital marketing and business transformation.

It’s part of City of Newcastle’s $5.5 million COVID-19 Community and Economic Development Resilience Package, under which a raft of support measures aims to foster community connections in the wake of the pandemic.

The City has also expanded the libraries’ subscription to online tutoring program Studiosity.

For students in Years 3 to 12, Studiosity provides access to free one-to-one tutoring in mathematics, science and English 24/7, year-round, through the Newcastle Library App.

This is particularly useful for students who are currently home-schooling or engaging in online learning as a result of the coronavirus.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said with COVID-19 changing the way we live, work and play, resulting in more downtime at home for many, City of Newcastle had moved to fill the void with practical, accessible tools for personal and professional development.

“We know that the ability to learn and relearn is a critical skill for the 21^st Century,” the Lord Mayor said.

“The benefit of these courses is the upskilling of the local workforce during a period of economic downturn, empowering people to learn and improving community wellbeing.”

Beyond formal education, there is also the opportunity to take up a new hobby, learn a language or research that project you’ve been meaning to start, with several reference and research electronic databases, such as Mango languages, Hobbies and Craft reference centre, Carters Price Guide to Antiques, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and many more at your fingertips.

The antidote to writer’s block or the value of grandma’s antique plate are just a few clicks away.

These resources are available to all Newcastle Libraries members.

You can become a member online to gain instant access at home via the free Newcastle Library App or the website, newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Library. It is free to join if you live or work in the Newcastle region.

For further support, you can phone 4974 5300 to speak with a library staff member between 9.30am and 5pm on weekdays, and 9.30am and 1.30pm on Saturdays.