In its latest move in the education space, Facebook has launched career development courses geared toward adult learners looking to get a foothold in the digital economy.
The 13 free, digital courses each run around nine minutes long. They’re designed for people looking to re-enter the workforce or simply refresh their skills, such as how to build a resume and how to maximize marketing with analytics.
Facebook designed these courses based on its own research on what skills are most helpful to both job seekers and employers seeking to hire people with digital skills (many of whom are on Facebook’s site), says Fatima Saliu, the company’s head of policy and Americas marketing, in an interview Learners can “pick up introductory ideas and then move on from there.”
The broader goal of this initiative is to give people access to economic opportunity, she adds. This latest update builds on previous efforts by the company to support digital-skills training to small-business owners on its platform over the years. And in June 2018, Facebook announced plans to partner with 20 community colleges to offer training in digital marketing to students.
Saliu says Facebook now wants to expand its educational reach beyond supporting business owners, to help potential future employees at these places obtain the skills they need. As the economy becomes increasingly digital, the company wants to help people get “equipped with skills to compete,” she says.
Along with the new site, Facebook also announced that it will be partnering with the Goodwill Community Foundation to curate training materials, as well as allowing businesses to share job posts in groups and adding a new way for people in Facebook groups to choose “mentors” they want to connect with to help their careers.
