Skills online is a transformative experience for learners

Individuals from different backgrounds and countries have found transformative educational experiences through COL’s initiatives. Sakhawat Hossen, a student from rural Birganj in Bangladesh, completed a course in MERN Stack Development through the COL–Udemy initiative. “The COL–Udemy learning experience surpassed what my university could offer,” Sakhawat stated, attributing his career progression to the knowledge and skills he acquired through the programme.

Similarly, Indrajith Bandara, an instructor at CISCO Networking Academy in Sri Lanka, benefited from the COL–Coursera Skills for Work (SfW) scholarship to pursue a Google Advanced Analytics course. “I was able to complete the courses only because of the COL scholarship,” said Indrajith. He expressed gratitude to COL for transforming his life and providing opportunities and inspiration to aspiring tech professionals globally.

COL is also partnering with Better Future for Women, in Bangladesh, to implement the scholarship programme. Social media channels are designed to reach potential participants from local communities, government agencies, university grants commissions and universities.

According to 25-year-old Sumitra Rani Munda, who lives in the Sundarbans Mangrove region, the Women’s TVET Corner has opened up a world of learning and skill development opportunities. Through the Women’s TVET Corner recently established in her village, she has found many open and distance learning skill development courses in the local language.

These success stories demonstrate the tangible impact of COL’s strategic initiatives to enhance skills development and employability, reinforcing COL’s mission to increase access to quality education across the Commonwealth. The learners’ experiences shed light on the transformative potential of such initiatives for individuals, who can then become role models for expanding educational access and quality in resource-constrained settings.