With the recent Covid 19 pandemic, many of us are finding ourselves with a lot of spare time at home. While this situation is not ideal, it is important that we remain proactive. The aviation industry will be one of the worst effected industries and the effects of this pandemic will be felt for some time. However, this will pass, and the industry will soar to new heights. The aviation industry is extremely competitive and so it is important to constantly upskill and expand your knowledge. This is as true now as ever. If you find you have time on your hands, use it to your advantage. We’ve compiled a list of online courses and other endeavours to remain proactive during these times.
1) Take a course
Coursera is an online learning platform that offers a wide variety of open online courses from top tier institutions. Whether you want to brush up on your excel skills, learn to code or learn to create predictive models using Matlab, this website has something to offer. Most courses are free and certificates of completion can be purchased. This is a great way to expand your knowledge and boost your CV. https://www.coursera.org/
We’ve also handpicked some aviation specific courses:
Want to learn more about the fascinating field of aerospace engineering. Udemy is another online learning platform that offers a paid course in Aerospace Engineering. https://www.udemy.com/
Ever wonder how planes fly? Future Learn offers a free course which covers the basics of Flight Mechanics. https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/flight-mechanics?
Are you interested in aviation? Have you thought you might like to become a pilot? Canvas are offering a free online Introduction to Aviation Course. This is an excellent option for anyone looking to take their first steps towards a career in aviation. https://www.canvas.net/browse/erau/courses
IATA (International Air Transport Association) offers more advanced, specialized aviation related courses to those who have already made their way in the aviation industry. They offer over 100 courses in areas such as airline operations, airline finance and regulations. Be sure to check them out at https://www.iata.org/en/training/courses
2) Join the cause and contribute to projects to help manage this crisis
Techstars Startup Weekend: Come together with inventors, innovators, developers and anyone with a passion to tackle Covid-19 in this first-of-its-kind Online Startup Weekend. Ireland’s will take place on 24th-26th April. You can find more information at https://covid.startupweekend.org/
Open Source Ventilator Ireland: Open Source Ventilator Ireland is a community-driven team of volunteer engineers, designers, medical professionals, and community builders working together to develop a low-cost and open-source emergency-use ventilator to aid the treatment of COVID19 patients. You can register your interest at https://opensourceventilator.ie/. They will identify your skill sets and assign you to the appropriate areas if needs require.
3) Learn a new skill
Learn a language: Duolingo is a language-learning app with over 30 languages. Improve your career opportunities or just learn for fun. They also provide a digital language-proficiency assessment exam which can be displayed on your LinkedIn profile.
Learn to meditate: Headspace is an app that provides guided meditations to help you stay mindful through these tough times.
Pick up an instrument and learn to play: There are plenty of online tutorials and websites out there to help you with this. A great example of this is Yousician which is free to download on all Apple and Android platforms.
Most importantly, stay healthy and sane and we’ll get through this crisis together!