One huge change that has taken place over the last couple of years is the fact that it takes relatively less time to learn many skills than it did a few years ago. A key reason for this development is the popularization of short courses. In countries like South Africa, short courses are the go-to place for anybody seeking knowledge on any range of topics.
Short courses, are Short Learning Programs that run for various lengths of time, usually between a few days to six months. Sometimes they could last up to nine months, but typically less than a year. They could either be part-time, undergraduate and are mostly hosted online on platforms owned by universities or other learning organizations.
What Are Short Courses?
Short courses form the groundwork for other more tedious, time-intensive studies like undergraduate studies, diploma studies, or certificate studies, as these are often more specialized and take much longer to complete. The length of a short course heavily depends on the topic, workload, and aim of the program. This means that a short course on ‘Introduction to Writing’ would not take as long as a short course on ‘Mechanism of Action of Aspirin.’ There are tons of available short courses that can teach you everything you need to know about a particular subject without any hassles.
Why take a short course, you might ask. Well, short courses are a perfect choice if you are looking to add new skills to your hat. Whether you want to up-skill within your current industry, or you want to explore a new industry altogether, short courses are your best bet when you need some new info that you want to assimilate quickly. This is especially important because no employer will pay you for skills that are irrelevant or outdated.
You need to keep up with the dynamic world and short courses are a great way to improve your skills. It is also an effective way of keeping your brain alert and active, without distracting you too much from your daily activities. Taking short courses also exposes you to a wider network of like-minded people, and people of similar interests which could be instrumental in furthering your career. If you still doubt why you should take that short class, below is a list of benefits derived from short courses.
List of Highly Sought-After Short Courses in South Africa
We have mentioned earlier that a short course has to be relevant for it to be useful, especially if you are seeking career advancement or employment. Because they are very concise, flexible, and affordable, they have become a highly demanded commodity. Some courses, however, sell much better than others.
1. Software Engineering or Development
Software development is one of the most popular courses in the field of computer science. Those who are professionals in the software engineering field are skilled in the designing, creating, testing, and running of computer systems. They are needed in almost every institution in South Africa that makes use of computer systems for their operations. So, if you work in, or plan to start up a business that requires a heavy online presence, then this course is for you. Short courses in software development aim at providing the students with the tools on how to make all kinds of software and to ensure that the individual perfects the craft before being awarded the certificate to avoid incompetence.
Most world-class institutions offer this course, however, most of them require certification, especially if they are to be used for employment purposes. The downside is that these courses are usually not cheap to acquire, however, if you do make the sacrifice, Software Engineering can prove to be an extremely rewarding skill to take up. It is actually one of the highest-paying skills in the country. However, you must ensure that certifications are obtained only from the most reputable sources.
2. Graphic Design Short Course
If you happen to be creative, you might be interested in becoming a graphic designer. If you have an eye for details, patterns, colors, and the likes, this course might be one of the easiest ways to start earning from those talents. Graphic design is an exciting, innovative, yet professional field where you can put your love for creating to use everyday.
By using images, text, and color, graphic designers can transform boring statistical data into stunning, vibrant, and interesting visual graphics and make complex ideas more accessible and easily understood. You might already be in the design industry and want to develop your skills or you may want to begin a career in graphic design, either way, graphic designing remains one of the hottest, most demanded courses in South Africa today. This short online course is usually broken into self-paced modules, which are designed to assist you throughout your learning process
3. Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing is a very essential tool and an integral part of running an online business. Every online business owner needs to market their products aggressively, especially if they hope to beat the competition and make sales. Because the world is gravitating towards creating a solid online business world, the demand for digital marketers with more than a degree has definitely seen a high increase, making this short course one of the most in-demand courses in South Africa.
This course will provide you with the tools to carry out online marketing by applying smart and intelligent strategies to inch out competition and achieve the desired results. You can apply for a digital marketing short course at any academic institution in South Africa offering the course or take the course online from any reputable online academy.
Digital marketers are strict professionals and they are very well-paid. If you decide to take up this course and follow the lessons prudently, you can be assured of a five-figure salary, even as a beginner. Getting an advanced version of the course would help you even better. With digital marketing knowledge, you can easily expand your reach, scale your business upwards, and attract more sales/revenue. Online academies like Coursera, Udemy, and Udacity would help you to further your knowledge in digital marketing as they boast of some of the most extensive libraries in the world.
4. Programming
Programming is quite similar to software development in the sense that most programmers use codes to build their software. However, programming is the more popular term. Programming involves all forms of software development, both for mobile devices and web structures. It also involves web design, website development, and website management. Programming offers some of the most flexible career opportunities in the world as programmers today can now choose to work remotely, and can source clients from any part of the world. In reputable and large organizations, like Google, Yahoo and Facebook, they are required to work in offices.
Short courses in programming will usually take you through the introduction which includes the basics of programming and the various programming languages. To learn more, you would have to go for specialized courses like web design and app development. This short course also provides an introductory look into the basics of web development. The course is the starting point to the other longer and more complex courses.
5. Marketing
Marketing is an indispensable aspect of business promotion. Unlike digital marketing that deals with marketing only in the online world, this refers to the more general action of selling anywhere, especially offline. The training, however, would include marketing to potential customers physically and online.
Online selling is great but you might also want to set up a structure that is outside the online world and this course will put you on the path to starting it. This course is essential for mainly business owners or employees who want to improve their marketing skills
6. Advanced Project Management
The Advanced Project Management online course is for project managers or aspiring project managers who want to learn how to use advanced technology along with tools and techniques to execute projects, portfolios, and programs. With this course, aspiring professionals would learn how to operate the business from an advanced level. Many top universities offer this course in South Africa.
7. Development Management and Leadership Course
Taking development management and leadership short course will provide you with many high-level leadership positions and opportunities. Some senior/high-level management positions include posts of the CEO or Vice-presidents of multi-national companies. It is however not a walk in the park and only those who pass the required exams will be certified. Also, in this industry, experience is key and many positions are only open to those who have the said experience.
However, if you are a student or a young professional, or maybe a graduate of Business, Commerce or Government, this course is perfect for you. A student of development management and leadership course will learn to lead and chair various organizations effectively. This course will also teach team management, organizational behavior, and leadership theories.
8. Health and Safety Representative Training
Health and Safety Representatives are essential employees in any establishment in South Africa and are now legally required for most workplaces and perform very important functions that organizations cannot afford to overlook.
Health and Safety Representatives help to improve the health and safety of workers in a company by representing them and offering them advice on how to make decisions that would impact their health and safety. This course focuses on teaching and training individuals on how to enforce and understand the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act. This course is also perfect for managers and supervisors who wish to understand the role of health and safety in the workplace and no prior degree or experience is required to take this course.
9. Cryptocurrency
Crypto-currency simply refers to online money or online coins. It has become very popular in recent years due to a sudden increase worldwide in its value. A lot of people have begun to trade cryptocurrencies because it is very lucrative and high returns are usually assured. The process of mastering this skill, however, is very tedious and this is why a lot of people are searching for online courses on cryptocurrencies to improve their trading outcomes, reducing the risks of losing money.
Institutions that teach cryptocurrency courses enlist the assistance of qualified teachers who have lots of experience in the world of cryptocurrency. Through these courses, you’ll learn how to trade various cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, DogeCoin, and Ethereum on different online platforms. You’ll also learn how to mine for these currencies while reducing the probability of risk to its barest minimum.
10. Business Accounting
This short course focuses on boosting and improving the money management skills of an individual, company, or organization. This course is especially recommended for people who want to learn how to manage/conserve money, especially people prone to frivolous spending. Even when you feel like you are a meticulous spender, this course might still show you leaks in your spending and how to stop them. Those who run businesses can also learn how to save money by taking this course.
When applying for this course, it is important that you choose a reputable university or institution to enable you to gain the right knowledge needed to manage your finances or the financial spending of your company. If you’re an accountant, a financial clerk, bookkeeper, or an employee in the financial department of your company, this course will help you develop and improve your skills. Business accounting also affords you the opportunity to develop better business relationships with your clients and customers. Business owners and individuals who hope to work as customer care representatives will find this course very useful.
Here Are A Few Benefits Of Taking A Short Course
- It Helps You Learn Easily Outside Your Field of Study: A top advantage of short courses is that they can provide a smooth introduction or transition into a field that is totally different from yours. You could also consider short courses as a guide that will enable you to learn faster, all the while providing the added benefit of being more specialized in your study. You could embark on a course to broaden your perspective on things in your industry. You can finally take that baking course, or any other hobby you would love to learn more about. Whichever reason applies to you, short courses involve freedom!
- Taking A Short Course Saves Time and Money: Imagine how difficult life would have been if we had to go to college to learn every additional skill we needed to advance in our lives and careers. That is exactly what short courses aim to eradicate. The majority of these short courses are online and incredibly accessible – and affordable too. These short courses are also very straight to the point, eschewing meaningless fluff for essential information. So a good short course will save you a lot of time and money, and even when you need to pay, you typically spend less than when you opt for a university degree program.
- Short Courses are Perfect for an Interdisciplinary Career: If you have found yourself in a particular field where many disciplines are interconnected, you might suddenly encounter the need to be knowledgeable in one or more of those subjects. In such a scenario, your best bet would be to take short introductory courses on those disciplines. This would help you increase your productivity. On the other hand, it increases your confidence level at work.
- Short Courses are a Great Way to Boost Your CV: You are more likely to get a callback after an interview if your CV is impressive. A verified way to ensure this is to take up relevant, certified short courses. These courses have to be relevant to the position you are applying for. You can never go wrong with a well-delivered short course.
- They Provide a Useful Way of Spending Your Free Time: You might disagree with the fact that short courses could make pleasurable leisure activities but they truly do. These physical courses might include some interesting extra-curricular activities like workshops and tours.
A Recap of the 10 Short Courses that are In-Demand in South Africa Right Now
- Software Engineering and Development
- Graphic Design Short Course
- Digital Marketing
- Programming
- Marketing
- Advanced Project Management
- Development Management and Leadership Course
- Health and Safety Representative Training
- Cryptocurrency
- Business Accounting
