Skill Courses That Complement Arts Degrees

If you are doing or have done graduation in a subject like Arts (BA) and are thinking about what to do next, then you have many great opportunities. In today’s time, skills are the real power. Just having a degree does not get you a job, but you should have such skills that are useful in today’s digital and business age.

The good thing is that now many skill courses are available online, that too very cheaply or absolutely free. You can do these courses sitting at home in your free time and make a strong resume. Let us now know which skill courses can be done by arts students and how they can give a new direction to their career.

Indigenous Perspectives and Histories

If you are interested in subjects like social sciences, history or political science, then the “Indigenous Canada” course run by the University of Alberta can be a great start for you. This course is available online and you can complete it according to your time.

This course gives you information about the history of Canada’s Indigenous population, their struggle and current social issues. If you want to make a career in social work, NGO or public policy, then this course can change your way of thinking.

Digital Marketing and Communication

Arts students usually have good writing skills. If you are interested in social media, content creation and online promotion, then this field is for you.

Meta Blueprint Certification

• Running ads on Facebook and Instagram, managing pages etc. are taught.
• There are courses of different levels. Some are free, some cost money.

Twitter Flight School

• How to use Twitter in a professional way is taught.
• Topics like video, tweet, promotion are included.

Hootsuite Certification

• Scheduling social media, viewing analytics and content management are taught.
• These skills are useful in any company.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The GBA+ (Gender-Based Analysis Plus) course is a very important skill in government departments and social service sectors. The Government of Canada offers this course online absolutely free of cost.

This course explains how to understand and include diversities such as gender, caste, age in policies and plans. If you are interested in public policy, NGO or government job, then this course is very useful.

If you want to make a career in this field, then you can also do advanced courses like Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP). It is expensive (about ₹ 1 lakh+), but this certificate can become your professional identity.

Art and Design

If you are creative and have interest in design, photography, editing, then by learning these skills you can become a graphic designer, video editor or content creator.

• Adobe Illustrator Basic Course: The course available on the Alison website introduces you to Adobe Tools.
• Skillshare: It is a paid platform but hundreds of art and design based courses are available here. Even though it does not give a certificate, you can build a strong portfolio through practical projects.

First Aid, CPR, and Health Response

If you work with people or want to become a teacher, NGO worker or manager in the future, then skills like First Aid and CPR are very important.

• St. John’s Ambulance: Teaches First Aid and CPR online for less than ₹ 2000.
• Canadian Red Cross: Offers many online and offline courses related to first aid and health.

Apart from this, courses like WHMIS, Dangerous Goods are also available, which are related to industrial or office safety.

Google Tools and Digital Certifications

Google tools are used everywhere today – be it office, school or any online platform. The skills associated with them make you strong in many areas.

• Google Digital Garage’s “Fundamentals of Digital Marketing” course: Free and also gives a certificate.
• Google Analytics Academy: Website traffic, user behavior, campaign analysis etc. are taught.
• Other courses like Google Ads, Waze, Business Page Tools are also available for free.

Conclusion: Skills can change your direction

If you have studied arts, then you are already a good thinker and writer. Now you need some new technical and professional skills. These courses will not only add weight to your resume, but will also give you the direction of new possibilities.

You can do these courses according to your time, without any big fees and start a new career today. Remember, in today’s world skills are more important than degrees. So get ready, learn something new, and write your own success story!