10 Free Online Courses to Beat Unemployment in Africa

In this article, you will discover 10⁺ free online courses from renowned US Universities to help African youths beat unemployment and work remotely. 

For example, Harvard is providing the following free online courses:

1. High-Dimensional Data Analysis
2. Introduction to computer science
3. CS50’s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript
4. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
5. Global News & Technology Leadership in Challenging Times
6. Statistics and R
7. Computer science for lawyers

Recently, Reno Omokri wrote a blog post advising Africans to reorientate their educational priorities from traditional university degree courses and focus on high-income skills. 

In today’s age, his arguments are solidly grounded in fact and meet this blog’s objective of sharing free online courses and resources with African youths. I founded this blog to help share ideas that can spur Africa’s development and transform Africa. African youths who gain personal skills and high-income jobs through free online courses can individually and collectively contribute to Africa’s development. 

According to Reno, many free online courses like “nursing, cloud computing, blockchain engineering, artificial intelligence, web design, coding, programming, ethical hacking, and analytics, for between six and eighteen months” can provide personal skills. I strongly agree with this advice. Learning these skills may open a new career path for some individuals, they can also expand and broaden other people’s career paths. These free online courses and personal skills do not necessarily force one to change his or her career path.

For instance, a lawyer who graduated from law school after studying traditional law courses will have a more expansive view of information technology law and its relationship with finance, product liability, privacy, etc. With a legal background, the lawyer will advise companies on privacy issues, cybersecurity governance, risk, and compliance. Cybersecurity will be expanding the lawyer’s field of operation. 

It is irrelevant to spend time convincing Africans that the current courses and specialties offered at African universities have neither addressed underdevelopment, poverty, nor unemployment. I understand that our immediate environments shape our attractions and decisions. However, in the digital age, African youths and students should have a broader view of today’s world than our parents and grandparents. We have access to free online courses that empower us to beat unemployment and advance development in our continent.

I end this blog by sharing links to free online courses from renowned universities in the United States to help dynamic and curious African youths reshape their destinies. In a previous blog, I explained why and how African youths can leverage IT and online training courses to beat unemployment and poverty. After reading this blog, you can Google tech jobs with the highest pay and remote work if you ask yourself where to start. 

Different sites provide plenty of information on how to start or switch to tech jobs. It is also important to note that not all IT jobs require a computer science degree, math or science, or coding. Many jobs in IT do not require a science, math, or engineering background. Even with a law, language, sociology, geology, or economics degree, you can still switch to a tech job. 

The Massachusetts University of Technology is offering free courses in:

1. Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
2. Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science
3. Machine Learning with Python: From Linear Models to Deep Learning
4. Supply Chain Analytics
5. Understanding the World Through Data
6. Computational Thinking for Modeling and Simulation
7. Becoming an Entrepreneur
8. Entrepreneurship 101

Stanford University offers the following courses online and for free:

1. Advanced Cybersecurity Program
2. Algorithms: Design and Analysis
3. Introduction to Cryptography
4. Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL
5. Introduction to the Internet of Things
6. Designing Your Career
7. Machine Learning Specialization
8. Introduction to Computer Science 101