Where to upskill in Melbourne and get an edge at work and life

Some people may want to learn a new skill to help them land their dream job. Some may want a new skill in artistry so they can use their creativity in a different way. Others simply might want to refine and develop an important life skill for an upcoming event.

Whatever your reason might be, having a variety of skills in your arsenal can help better your chances of succeeding at work and in life but where can you go to upskill?

Professional upskilling

Job hunting can become a bit of a competition, unfortunately, and sometimes you might just miss out on a position because you don’t have the right set of skills necessary to do the job. You may feel your degree hasn’t prepared you enough for the workforce but fear not — there are always avenues for students and graduates to learn more.

RMIT University, for example, offers a broad range of short courses ranging from computer programming, learning how to use the Adobe suite of programs, copywriting, building a website and more!

Short courses at RMIT, of course, don’t come cheap but the rewards you can reap later in life might make it a worthy investment.

Alternatively, if you’re already working in the field and want to learn more or move up in the corporate ladder, ask your employer if there are any opportunities for growth. Perhaps there’s already a course or program your company offers to help you upskill. Or if you come across a course that you feel will help strengthen your prospects as an employee and bring extra value to your company or business, bring it up with your employer because they may be open to financially compensating your course.

Creative upskilling

Photo: Alicia Zinn

If you’ve been stuck in a job or a course that’s drained you of inspiration or if you feel there isn’t enough creativity in your life, consider taking up classes on arts disciplines including (but not limited to), dance, photography, acting or painting.

For example, you might want to attend workshops and classes at Fitzroy Painting on Brunswick St where beginners can learn from professional artists and teachers in a studio environment.

You can also find a range of artistic workshops over at WeTeachMe, an Australian-based website that lists all available classes in your city and area. Ever wanted to sculpt? There’s probably a workshop or class for that somewhere on WeTeachMe.

If you’re not in a place to financially cover these courses but still wish to add some creativity to your life, hit up YouTube and look for tutorials in sketching, painting and more! There are some really aweosme videos available online to help you get started!

Upskilling for life

There are some skills you simply need to have in order to get by in life. You’re going to have to eat for the rest of life, you’ll probably have to make speeches and maybe you’ll have to learn how to make a relationship work. Depending on what life skills and knowledge you want to attain, one place you can learn all this and more is at The School of Life.

Located at 669 Bourke St, The School of Life is a fantastic institution with workshops and classes on fascinating subjects with engaging presenters to speak about these topics.

Social Agility, a company that helps individuals develop skills in presentation, communication and in social situations, is also a great resource to consider too. They’re based in Level 17 at 31 Queen St, Melbourne.

And if you just want to learn how to cook and feed yourself, there are no shortages of cooking tutorials and recipes online for you to browse through. Our recommendation? Start by cooking your favourite dish and then keep doing it until you’ve perfected it. Practice makes perfect after all.

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So what are you waiting for? Take up these extracurricular courses, develop your interests, improve your skills and expand your horizons.

Whether you’re after a new job, someone who wants to nail that next presentation or you’re simply wanting to learn something you never thought you had talent in, there’s always a course, class or workshop out there that’ll help you improve!

This story was produced by Media and Communication students at Trinity College Foundation Studies as part of Meld’s community newsroom collaboration. Education institutions, student clubs/societies and community groups interested in being involved can get in touch with us via meld@meldmagazine.com.au.