Pasadena Public Library Offers Free Access to University-Quality Classes That Help Patrons Get a Job, Or a Better One

Patrons of the Pasadena Public Library can now access CAreer Pathways, a collection of digital platforms for online learning tools to meet the needs of those entering the workforce or who want to get a better job, for free.

Funded by the State and administered by the California State Library, CAreer Pathways offers Coursera, Linkedln Learning, GetSetUp, NorthStar, and Skillshare – resources that offer specialized courseware that help people improve job skills and prepare for high-wage jobs.

Coursera offers university-quality classes without the need to enroll in any particular university.

Linkedln Learning is an online learning site that specializes in professional courses. The resource offers over 16,000 online courses in practical and career-relevant subjects, as well as some creative and mindfulness topics.

GetSetUp focuses on offering educational courses to students 50 years of age and older. It offers over 500 classes on a wide range of topics including technology for beginners, vocational and physical health, wellbeing, and hobbies such as gardening, cooking, and book clubs.

Northstar offers a collection of assessment lessons for absolute beginners in computers and everyday technology. It features interactive lessons that guide the user through interacting with technology to assess their understanding of technology and digital and privacy literacies.

Skillshare focuses on creative professional topics and offers coursework in areas such as graphic design freelancing skills, marketing, and more.

This suite of resources offers accessible and exemplary educational tools to meet the needs of students and professionals alike. Each platform is ADA-compliant.

The California State Library is making all these online tools universally available to Californians in order to speed up recovery from the pandemic and offer continuing help in returning those unemployed and underemployed to the workforce.

“Unemployed or underemployed Californians are disproportionately women, people of color, young people (under age 25), and people with less than a bachelor’s degree,” the State Library said. “The choice of platforms took this information and other workforce development needs into account and was informed by the responses to a workforce survey sent to library directors in April 2021.”

Since 2020, the Pasadena Public Library has also offered Career Accelerator from Learning Express, another CAreer Pathways digital resource.

Access to CAreer Pathways is available through the Pasadena Public Library’s website, https://cityofpasadena.libguides.com/Career, and listed under “Learn! From the California State Library” in the center of the page.

Pasadena’s libraries are community hubs that bring people together and close the opportunity gap by connecting people to essential services and resources. The resources available through CAreer Pathways are another way in which the Library aids in personal economic development, increases digital equity, and supports the information needs of a 21st Century society.

For more information on library programs and services, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/library 

To learn more about CAreer Pathways, visit https://library.ca.gov/grants/career-pathways.