A diverse skill set is important to any career

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep through the world, each country ‒ and citizen ‒ has been forced to react. In the UK, the government has responded with Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and updated Statutory Sick Pay. But it goes beyond that ‒ the Department for Education has responded as well.

On 28 April, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson launched The Skills Toolkit, an online learning platform that houses free courses geared towards helping job seekers to boost their digital and numeracy skills. The site boasts a number of resources ranging from introductory to advanced levels, so whether you want to simply get comfortable using popular online tools or get a taste of cybersecurity, there are lessons available to fit your needs.

Whilst worthwhile at any time, this initiative is particularly valuable now as the workforce changes dramatically. Millions of workers are unemployed, and thus will need to be well-prepped for a post-coronavirus job search. Also, skill-building is just as helpful for those who remain employed – especially those who can develop new proficiencies whilst needing to stay home.

Of course, there's more to a comprehensive skill set than just digital and numeracy skills. For instance, listing hard and soft skills on a CV are essential to a successful career. Here, we've compiled our own list of free online resources that can help you build all kinds of skills, from business administration to leadership.

If you're conducting a job search amidst COVID-19, it's important to highlight all of your skills, including those you've gained through The Skills Toolkit. Read here for our complete guide for featuring skills on your CV.

A vast, honed skill set is your key to career success, whether that means moving up in your current role or landing a new job. It's good to see that the Department for Education agrees, so be sure to take advantage of their new skill-building opportunity.

TopCV's free CV review is another resource that can help you land a job. Submit your CV to receive confidential, expert feedback.

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