Taking courses run specifically for the industry – be it diamond, jewelry or gemstones – is certainly advantageous. But there are plenty of options for people thinking “outside the jewelry box.” A little knowledge may be a dangerous thing, but it can also be tremendously helpful. Check out some of these free resources.

 

Coursera: (www.coursera.org)

This social entrepreneurship company has partners with top universities to offer free online courses. Classes are taught via videoed lectures in a range of topics including business, social science and humanities. Providers include, Duke, Princeton, Stanford and Michigan.

 

Management: Offered by the University of Pennsylvania, this six-week course teaches students how to analyze and improve business processes, be it in services or in manufacturing. Participants will learn how to improve productivity, how to provide more choice to customers, how to reduce response times and how to improve quality.

 

Grow to Greatness: Smart Growth for Private Businesses, Part I: Offered by the University of Virginia, the five-week course focuses on the common growth challenges faced by existing private businesses when they attempt to grow substantially.

 

Introduction to Finance: Offered by the University of Michigan, this 10-week course introduces students to frameworks and tools to measure value; both for corporate and personal assets. It will also help in decision-making at both the corporate and personal levels.

 

Learn Out Loud (www.learnoutloud.com)

Fed up with “dead time” on flights, on the daily commute or even during lunch? Learn Out Loud promotes the use of audio and video educational material for personal and professional development.  The site has more than 25,000 audio and video titles and offers a variety of free content alongside its pay to use items – including 613 freebies in the business category alone.

 

The Art of Original Thinking: The Making of a Thought Leader: This guide to original thinking, inspired living, and visionary leadership is a hands-on guide to becoming a thought leader. The author challenges readers to question assumptions, free themselves from illusions, dispel myths, and question the origins of thoughts.

 

The Surprising Science of Motivation: In this short Ted Talk, career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think.

 

Building Personal Leadership: Inspirational Tools & Techniques for Work and Life: This self-help guide is packed with tips, tricks and techniques for cultivating leadership ability and greater success in work and life. From improving personal productivity through prioritization, organization, and communication, to overcoming barriers to success ranging from inner fear to outside resistance, it is applicable to readers amid a diversity of careers and life goals.

 

iTunes University

iTunes U has come a loooong way since it first launched. Offering podcasts, audio downloads and courses from an astonishing array of education providers from around the world. It’s hard to even know where to begin when it comes to looking at courses from iTunes, but as they say, seek and ye shall find.

 

What Great Bosses Know: is presented by Jill Geisler, who heads the Poynter Institute’s leadership and management program. In this series of podcasts, she shares practical leadership lessons for managers who want to be great bosses. Subjects include: tips for trust in teams, six books for bosses and why a pay check isn’t a thank you. 

 

Supply Chain Management & Logistics: An Introduction to Principles and Concepts: Offered by Cranfield University, this course is a collection of enhanced podcasts and videos that provide the basics for business professionals to gain a competitive advantage by increasing value and reducing costs.

 

Finance and Economics: If you have ever wanted to study at Cambridge University, now’s your chance. The university offer a series of inspirational interviews and podcasts from the Judge Business School. Subjects include: regulating financial innovation, turning adversity into opportunity and how the recession can lead to a change for the better.