Free platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy are revolutionising education, offering affordable and flexible pathways to in-demand tech skills. From students to mid-career professionals, millions now turn to online learning to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving job market, JUSTICE OKAMGBA, writes
The hunger for technology skills has turned online education into a booming global industry. Worth some $203bn this year, the market has been fuelled by platforms promising to democratise learning, often for free.
Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, edX and Khan Academy, among others, have become gateways for workers hoping to future-proof their careers and for students seeking affordable alternatives to expensive universities.
These platforms now sit at the heart of modern training and education. Their users span schoolchildren brushing up on algebra to mid-career professionals scrambling to master data science or artificial intelligence. The catalogue is a sprawling business strategy, code, design, and even literature, reflecting a world where lifelong learning has shifted from aspiration to necessity.
At heart, online learning promises flexibility, low cost and a degree of personalisation that traditional classrooms rarely match. Yet its value in the labour market remains contested.
Certificates from digital platforms may signal curiosity and initiative, but they seldom carry the weight of a formal qualification.
Online courses can demonstrate interest but should not be mistaken for proof of professional competence, scholar of digital education Dmitriy Genzel stated in a post on Quora.
"If you took some courses in machine learning and did well enough to pass (it doesn't matter whether or not you got a paid-for certificate or not, I won't bother checking anyway), then I take that to mean that you care about machine learning and maybe have a professional interest in going into this field. I would not take that as evidence that you are qualified in it, Genzel wrote.
Employers are far more interested in whether candidates can demonstrate competence.
"The real test is the interview," Genzel said. "If you actually learnt and can demonstrate competence in all the job requirements at the level we expect from an entry-level position, you are done. Nobody cares if you have a degree, a certificate, or just learnt it all by reading books in your mom's basement."
Online learning shows initiative and can make a difference in borderline hiring cases, particularly if paired with referrals or additional experience.
"The main value isn't the certificate; it's the knowledge. If you have it, it's not wasted even if recruiters ignore that line on your resume," he said.
For some, the appeal of online education lies in the engaging, video-based delivery. Tech enthusiast Akash Goel described MOOCs, which means Massive Open Online Courses, as the next best thing to in-person instruction.
"From personal experience, I have found MOOCs to be excellent in whatever they set out to teach," Goel said. "Apart from having classes with an actual, real-life teacher-person, MOOCs are the next best thing. There is something about human psychology that is very susceptible to getting influenced by videos rather than any other medium, such as reading or listening."
Goel pointed out that different platforms excel in different domains.
"For anything professional or college-related, Coursera and Udacity are great. They have a proper weekly syllabus and assignment structure that helps you stay on track, and even projects that you can do to test your understanding. For hobbies and other things, I've found great lectures on Udemy and Skillshare," he said.
Although Goel stressed he was not affiliated with any of the companies, he praised their accessibility.
"It would be great if I were, but I'm just posting my reviews here," he added.
For learners pursuing structured, professional tracks, some online courses come with certifications from universities or major institutions.
Machine Learning Engineer Harsh Reddy highlighted the value of Coursera's specialisation programmes, particularly in data science.
"I have been working on the Data Science specialisation certification offered by John Hopkins University," Reddy said. "It is an incredible series which starts off as a beginner-level course and picks up the pace, reaching an advanced-level programming intensive track. For a beginner it is just a brilliant resource. For an expert it helps in brushing up the foundations."
Reddy admitted he initially joined free courses but later opted for paid certifications.
"The $490 I pay for 10 courses is well worth the knowledge and time I spend on it. It also helps to keep afloat their business model," he said.
"Paying for a course also helps in motivating myself to complete the quizzes and assignments in time. At the end of the day we get to earn a verified certificate, which we get to showcase in our resume as proof for the knowledge we gained."
He added that while hiring managers might not solely rely on certificates, a verified credential signals effort and commitment.
"I am sure every hiring manager would notice that without a doubt," Reddy said.
Not all platforms follow the same structure. Co-founder of 3Veta, Illiya Valchanov, compared LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) and Udemy, two of the most popular platforms.
"Lynda has a different model. You pay a fixed subscription fee each month and have full access to all their resources," Valchanov explained.
He added, "The courses are very similar in style and are often recorded at their studio (high-quality footage with the face of the instructor). The main advantage is the fixed fee for unlimited watch time. The main disadvantage is that sometimes, instructors are very good professionals but not great teachers."
Udemy, by contrast, operates on an open marketplace model. "Udemy is one of the fastest-growing e-learning platforms. Each person or company can submit a course, and students choose from all the courses available," Valchanov said.
"The fact that anyone can create a course makes this platform so successful. The competition is so high that at the end of the day you have hundreds of courses on the same topic, but only a tiny bit of them are very good," he added.