Upskill yourself for free

1. Future‑proof your career
   Roles evolve, automation increases, and entire industries shift. Upskilling helps you stay relevant rather than reactive—so change becomes an opportunity, not a threat.
2. Increase your value (and earning potential)
   New or in‑demand skills make you more valuable to employers and clients. This often leads to better pay, promotions, or the confidence to negotiate from a stronger position.
3. Open new opportunities
   Upskilling can unlock career pivots, leadership roles, or side projects you couldn’t access before. Many people don’t lack ambition—they lack the skills pathway.
4. Boost confidence and performance
   When you know what you’re doing and why, decision‑making improves and imposter syndrome shrinks. Confidence tends to follow competence.
5. Stay curious and engaged
   Learning keeps work interesting. It prevents stagnation, builds momentum, and often reignites motivation—especially when routines start to feel repetitive.

There are 100s of courses, that providing you meet certain criteria, are completely free.  So whether it’s construction or childcare, your bound to find something of interest. Are you aged 19 or over?

• A good place to start is Free Courses in England .  These are delivered online, so no need to travel.  Most are done at your own pace too, so it doesn’t matter if your not always available.
• Another one to check our are the Free courses for Jobs  Lots of qualifications to choose from and they go up to level 3
• Keep your eye the Skills Bootcamps pages too.
• Lastly if your considering upskilling yourself, you should also definitely consider apprenticeships.  Check out our apprenticeship pages here:

Apprenticeships

If you live in the North Yorkshire Council area, then Adult Learning North Yorkshire has a friendly team of Learner Engagement Officers ready to help.  You can book a one‑to‑one appointment or attend a drop‑in session held at locations across North Yorkshire.

To book an appointment email LearningAdvice@northyorks.gov.uk or call 01609 536 066.

To find your nearest drop in, visit Book an appointment with a Learner Engagement Officer | North Yorkshire Council

If you live within the City of York Council area, then Make your learning York Learning, with a full range of different study options, from full courses, day workshops and taster sessions to flexible learning arrangements. Whether you join us for a 2 year programme or a 2 hour workshop, we have some great learning opportunities for leisure, for work and for qualifications.