#ShortCourseSaturday… It’s a round up!
9th July 2020
Over the last few weeks, we have shared an array of short courses on our social media channels, covering topics from the UN Global Goals to understanding diversity. These courses can help to expand your knowledge around sustainability, open your mind to new ideas and also boost your CV. Plus they’re all free to complete and can all be done in your spare time, at your own pace!
But in case you missed the series or just didn’t have to time to complete a course, we’ve popped them into a handy little blog for you here, with 2 reasons for each course as to why you should give it a go! We don’t expect anyone to complete all 12, but if you can find one that interests you (which we’re sure you will!), then give it a go!
1. Concepts in Sustainable Development: An Introduction to the Key Issues
Sustainability is about much more than using reusable cups and avoiding fossil fuels. This course gives you a great base to work from by giving you an overall understanding of what sustainability means.
Why should I try it?
- A competitive edge – sustainability is now critical to all careers and sectors – get ahead of the game whether you’re going into science, education, fashion, law…
- Great reviews – with an overall rating of 4.4 stars, with many saying it was incredibly insightful, rewarding, well-structured and detailed!
Try this course here!
2. Organising for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Sustainability is about more than just being ‘green.’ This is only one aspect of it and the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development demonstrate this, by also covering areas like economy, justice, production and more.
Why should I try it?
- Critical thinking – It will teach you how to think critically in relation to the Global Goals, weighing up the positives and challenges of each, and how you can help to contribute towards achieving them
- Structured by theme – The course is split up to cover the 17 goals in 3 main themes: social development, environment and economic development, making it a more manageable and structured approach
Try this course here
3. The Stories We Live By – Ecolinguistics
The language around us affects the way we think, feel and act. But you may not be aware to what extent language affects you in even the most simple everyday things. This course will help you to understand this better! From completing this course, I realised how much language around me impacts the way I think and feel – read this blog to find out more on this.
Why should I try it?
- It’s flexible – you can put as much or as little work in as suits you. If you want, you can just watch the videos, or you can complete the exercises too. Either way, it’s very insightful
- Made at UoG – This course was created by our very own Arran Stibbe, Professor of Ecological Linguistics at UoG, along with a team of student volunteers!
Try this course here
4. Free Education for Sustainable Development CPD
If you’re looking to go into education, whatever your subject, this course is for you! Sustainability is increasingly becoming part of education and learning, and this course is designed specifically for people in this sector.
Why should I try it?
- Competitive industry – Though some subject teachers are in demand, on the whole education is a competitive industry to get into. This forward-thinking course will boost your CV and give you a competitive edge over other job applicants
- Real life case studies – The course was created in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and uses real life case studies to show how sustainability can be built into a curriculum as well as a school’s activities and strategy. You may be able to pinch some of their ideas!
Try this course here
5. Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance
Good health and wellbeing’ is one of the UN Global Goals and that doesn’t just mean physical health. Learning to be mindful can help with mental health and in turn your productivity when studying or working, and this course is there to help you achieve that.
Why should I try it?
- Practical advice – The course gives you practical advice on how to practice mindfulness to manage emotions, reduce stress and boost productivity! You’ll learn that being mindful is not about sitting cross-legged on the floor making humming noises!
- Highly rated – It is one of the highest rated courses we’ve recommended, with an amazing 4.9 stars out of 5, based on over 230 reviews! Participants have described it as well written, informative and helpful.
Try this course here
6. Ethical Leadership in a Changing World
In an era of distrust and fake news, ethical leadership is more important than ever. Learn what it means to be an ethical leader, how ethical issues can be addressed and how to become an ethical leader yourself.
Why should I try it?
- Find your ethical employer – By understanding what an ethical leader is, you can also identify companies that have ethical leaders – helping you to find an ethical employer to work for
- Short & Sweet – It can be completed in as little as 12 hours over several weeks! So it won’t take up too much of your free time
Try this course here and check out of Ethical Careers blog here!
7. Circular Economy : An Introduction
Understanding and moving towards a circular economy will help reduce pressure on the environment, increase competitiveness, reducing waste, stimulate innovation and boost the economy, creating more jobs! It’s a hot topic in many industries today and something that more and more businesses will be working towards.
Why should I try it?
- Interview prep – Whether you’re going into business, production or design, understanding how to move from a linear system to a circular one is important in so many sectors, from fashion to electronics and more. Going to an interview with an understanding of this innovative idea will give you an edge!
- Fits into summer break – This is a self-paced course, that is recommended to be completed in about 3 hours per week, over 7 weeks. Easy to fit in over the summer break! But as it’s self paced, you can take longer if you want to complete it during term time! The choice is yours.
Try this course here
8. What is? Biodiversity
Biodiversity supports the ecosystems that we rely on as humans – such a fresh water, pollination, soil fertility and more. Understanding what it is and how to protect it something that we must all make a priority for the world to thrive.
Why should I try it?
- Easy access, no faff – This course is incredibly easy to access, you don’t even need to sign up. Simply click below and read through the modules as your own pace
- Created by experts – This short course has been created by Ditto Sustainabilty, an expert in sustainability software, education and advisory services, so you can be confident they know what they’re talking about!
Try this course here
9. Understanding Diversity and Inclusion
Creating a sustainable world means no one is left behind, so it cannot be done by a divided community. Therefore, understanding diversity and how to create inclusive environments is essential for everyone
Why should I try it?
- Uncover your own biases – It covers many aspects of diversity and teaches you not only about diversity and inclusion, but also how to identify your own unconscious biases, allowing you to develop your own skills, attitudes and knowledge
- Highly rated – The course its highly rated (4.9/5 stars), can be done in just 9 hours over 3 weeks and is suitable for anyone and everyone!
Try this course here
10. Fashion and Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World
The textiles industry is known to be one of the more damaging industries to the environment and has much controversy around working conditions abroad. Understanding sustainability in fashion it therefore so important for anyone going into the fashion industry.
Why should I try it?
- Top rated – It’s another top-rated course again, with 4.9 stars out of 5 based on 100 reviews! So you know it’s going to be good!
- Competitive edge – As the focus on sustainability in fashion increases like it has in recent years, having a solid understanding of what this means and what it looks like in practice will give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs!
Try this course here
11. How to Get A Graduate Job
This is a great course to compliment what you have already learned through the Your Future Plan events and resources at UoG, covering basics like writing a CV to tackling your nerves with face to face interviews
Why should I try it?
- Short and sweet – It’s a really short course so easy to complete! It should only take 2 hours a week over 3 weeks, a total of just 6 hours!
- Created by reputable company – The course has been created by Graduate Coach, a company whose founder is considered the foremost graduate coach in Britain, having helped kickstart the careers of over 5000 graduates! So you know the content is coming from a good source!
Try this course here
12. Unleash Your Potential: Sustainable Futures
This course is a great all-rounder, covering the UN Global Goals and the different roles people like you can play in creating a sustainable future for everyone.
Why should I try it?
- Make a local & global difference – You’ll be provided with practical ways to make a difference on both a global and local scale, helping you to identify diverse ways to achieving a sense of purpose and understanding how individuals play a role in a large system
- Transferable skills – It’s suitable for anyone with an interest in sustainability, but would be especially useful for students looking to develop their transferable skills for the workplace and in day to day life. So it’s a great one for your CV!
Try this course here
Right, that’s all 12 courses covered! But remember, there are thousands more courses available online, many of them free to complete. So keep studying, keep developing yourself and enjoy the feeling of learning something you didn’t know yesterday!