The U.S. State Department recently announced a partnership with online education platform Coursera to give refugees free access to thousands of online courses. Nonprofit groups that support refugees around the world, or individual refugees, can apply for fully funded access to Coursera’s course catalogue. They will be able to take all Coursera classes, which range from data science to fashion design, without the costs of obtaining professional certificates. Evan Ryan, U.S. assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, stated the new program hopes to aid refugees by offering “important skills that will help them in the global economy.” While finding a new career, or continuing a previous career, may not be as straightforward as watching a few videos, the program may still have value; a 2015 study found that 72 percent of people who took MOOCs saw career benefits afterwards.
http://qz.com/710676/refugees-around-the-world-can-now-take-online-classes-for-free/