Acton Resident says learning with lynda.com has been a “Positive Experience”
The Halton Hills Public Library has unveiled their new online skills development program lynda.com that they are offering to members of the public library.
Lynda is an e-learning service, normally costing $300 - $400 although Lynda is free for Halton Hills residents who have a library card.
Lynda gives user’s the ability to develop their “business, technology, and creative skills”, offering over 3500 courses and over 144000 video tutorials, all taught by recognized industry experts”
On Monday Beverly King, Manager of Community and Adult Services presented to council and told us about Lynda.
“Business courses include marketing budgeting, leadership, social media. Technology courses include everything from website and app development to graphic design and coding. Creative courses include photography, music and audio production, and even voice and piano lessons.”
For the website, Beverly mentions “New material is added each week, and courses are designed to help anyone at any skill level to achieve their personal and professional goals.”I had a chance to speak with Acton Resident and Scale Operator and Customer Service Representative, Vanessa Gunn, who was using Lynda to further develop her skills and talk with her about her time using Lynda. Vanessa states…
“So far my interaction with the Lynda courses has been positive because it offers free personal and professional development opportunities to anyone in the community that has a Library card and access to a computer. The Membership to the Lynda website where the courses are made available would cost a person over $400, but this fee is paid for us by the library. There is also the value-added bonus of not having to pay or budget for travel expenses associated with traditional in classroom courses available. You can learn at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home or wherever you have access to a computer.”
“I think there's a lot of programs available to small business owners who might be just starting out, they could learn accounting, marketing and so much more to help their business grow and for free. It's a great way for people to get their feet wet so to speak...they can try out a course they've maybe always thought about doing and find out oh no it's really not what they expected or thought, or just isn't for them. On the flip side of that too is the opportunity to try a course and subject that they never thought of doing before...and there's no harm because there's no cost...an who knows it could turn Into something they are passionate about”
Beyond Vanessa, a lot of our town councilors had very positive remarks about lynda.com from Councillor Somerville saying “ This is great, this is wonderful”, he talked about how he took computer courses 25 years ago, but the “fundamentals he learned were still valid, and it was a tremendous opportunity”.
Councillor Jane Fogal stated, "That the presentation really makes me understand what value it would have to the community.” She went on to say “We talk a lot about smart communities and when we do, we think about technology, but this sort of makes us smart by having smart people. Maybe we can be the smartest community as well as most patriotic.”
Vanessa summed up everything well in our interview by saying “It's important for people to know the opportunities available to them...its programs and services like this that if they go unused will disappear”.
You can access lynda.com by using your library card and code, or by getting further information from your local public library.
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