Checked Oct 4, 2026. Details change often, so confirm on each program's official page before you apply. Verify details = some details not fully confirmed.
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Helpful videos
Short videos by Mike Mintz (@spiralcontent.ai) on free courses and certificates, with links to each official page in his captions. Not affiliated with Skills for Vets. The buttons open Instagram or YouTube; nothing loads from them on this page.
LEGO Serious Play: the free, open-source strategy session method
Oct 4, 2026
LEGO released the open-source introduction to LEGO Serious Play under a Creative Commons licence in 2010, so anyone can run the strategy-workshop method for free. You need bricks, one question, 4-8 people and 3-4 hours.
Free Net Zero Certificate From The United Nations
Sep 27, 2026
Net Zero 101 from the United Nations University: three self-paced modules (about 90 minutes total), free certificate with 75%+ on each module quiz. No climate-science background needed.
Oracle's Free Foundations Certifications
Sep 25, 2026
Oracle sells most certification exams, but its Foundations tier is free, including an AI Foundations course, practice exam and real exam with no prerequisites or coding needed. He adds that Oracle's cloud architect associate certification was also made free this year.
Free Microsoft Copilot Certification (30 Minutes)
Sep 24, 2026
Microsoft's free Applied Skills credential "Streamline business workflows with AI chat": a 30-minute hands-on lab using Copilot in Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel. Beginner level; you can retry after 72 hours.
Free Customer Service Certificate From Bloomberg (4 Hours)
Sep 23, 2026
Bloomberg's free client-service job simulation on Forage (3-4 hours, self-paced, no grades) covers prioritizing work, handling conflict and root-cause problem solving, with a certificate of completion.
Free Project Management Certificate From Siemens (2 Hours)
Sep 22, 2026
Siemens Mobility's free project-management job simulation on Forage (1-2 hours): pick the measures that show if a project is on track, then run the dashboard and report progress. Certificate at the end.
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Free Robotics Certificate From Johnson & Johnson (4 Hours)
Sep 20, 2026
Johnson & Johnson's free robotics job simulation on Forage (3-4 hours, two tasks): diagnose a misbehaving robotic surgical arm, then design and write up the fix. Intermediate and fairly technical; certificate of completion.
Harvard CS50: free course and free certificate
Sep 18, 2026
Harvard's CS50 intro to computer science is free, and so is the CS50 Certificate if you get it from Harvard (score 70%+ on every problem set and lab plus the final project). About 11 weeks; no application or prerequisite. The edX verified certificate is the paid route.
Free HubSpot Content Marketing Certification (8.5 Hours)
Sep 17, 2026
HubSpot Academy's free Content Marketing certification: 14 lessons and 54 videos (about 8.5 hours), no card. A free account also opens HubSpot's other courses.
McKinsey Forward: Free 10-Week Course (Apply by Oct 5)
Sep 16, 2026
McKinsey Forward's free Core Skills level: 10 weeks at about 2 hours a week, covering adaptability, communication, relationship building, problem solving and digital/AI essentials, with a digital badge. Open in 130+ countries; requires an application.
Applications close October 5 (per the caption); there is an application and places may be limited.
Free Digital Marketing Training From Shopify (65 Minutes)
Sep 15, 2026
Shopify Academy's marketing courses are free (e.g. Digital Marketing Essentials, 65 minutes), but the assessment that turns a track into a badge costs $149.
Courses free, badge assessment is paid ($149).
Software Development Certificate From Citi (6 Hours)
Sep 14, 2026
Citi's free software-development job simulation on Forage: four tasks over 5-6 hours (starting with a state diagram), intermediate level, no application, certificate at the end.
Free Amazon Ads Certification And Badge (90 Minutes)
Sep 13, 2026
Amazon Ads Academy is free and open to anyone, with certifications in Amazon's ad products such as Sponsored Ads, Amazon Retail for Advertisers and Amazon Ad Server.
Free Product Manager Job Simulation From Electronic Arts
Sep 11, 2026
Electronic Arts' free product-management job simulation on Forage: 1-2 hours, self-paced, starting with a task on understanding key performance indicators. Certificate at the end for your resume.
SCRUM Certifies You in the Basics (FREE, 90 min)
Sep 10, 2026
SCRUMstudy's Scrum Fundamentals Certified exam is free with a free membership: 40 questions in 60 minutes (30 to pass), online, no prerequisite, and the credential does not expire.
NVIDIA's Free AI Training (Exams Cost $125-$500)
Sep 9, 2026
NVIDIA offers many self-paced training courses (about 2 hours each) for free, while its certification exams cost $125 to $500. He suggests picking the exam title closest to your job and taking the free training for it.
Training free, certification exams are paid ($125-$500).
Free Google Ads Training, 5 Certifications (Skillshop)
Sep 8, 2026
Google Skillshop's free Google Ads training and certifications in five areas (Search, Display, Measurement, Video, Shopping), plus a quick Google-search trick to see who customers compare you with.
Free AI Course For Writers And Designers (Certificate)
Sep 7, 2026
Anthropic's free AI Fluency for Creative Work course (about 5 hours) for writers, designers, musicians and other makers. No Anthropic account or paid plan required.
Free Salesforce Trailhead Training: 8 Badges, 3 Hours
Sep 6, 2026
Salesforce Trailhead's free "Get Started with Artificial Intelligence" trail: 8 steps and 8 badges in about 3 hours 15 minutes, foundational level, no prerequisite.
Free AWS Cloud Training With Badges (No Credit Card)
Sep 5, 2026
AWS Educate is Amazon's free, self-paced cloud training with digital badges, open to anyone and no credit card needed. A free way into the subject of the $100 Cloud Practitioner exam.
Free Data Analytics Certificate From Deloitte (2 Hours)
Sep 4, 2026
Deloitte's free data-analytics job simulation on Forage (1-2 hours): analyze a client's telemetry data and build a dashboard, giving you work you can show behind "data analysis" on a resume.
Free Management Training With Certificate (Walmart)
Sep 3, 2026
Walmart's free Area Manager job simulation (1-2 hours): a scenario and four real floor-management decisions covering people management, prioritization and change management. Certificate at the end.
Free Sales Training With Certificate (Red Bull)
Sep 2, 2026
Red Bull's free sales job simulation on Forage (1-2 hours, two tasks): analyze and chart account data, then build a presentation explaining performance. Certificate at the end.
Free Job Simulation With Certificate (Goldman Sachs)
Sep 1, 2026
Goldman Sachs' free Operations job simulation on Forage (1-2 hours, two tasks in Wealth Management Operations). No application or experience required; certificate for your resume and LinkedIn.
Coursera Financial Aid: Get Any Certificate Subsidized or Free
Sep 1, 2026
Coursera's Financial Aid form can make most paid certificates free (the full certificate, not audit-only). Anyone can apply at no cost; he explains what to write in the application.
DuckDuckGo Free AI Chat: 6 Models, No Card
Aug 31, 2026
DuckDuckGo's free AI chat offers six AI models on one page. The tip: ask the same question to two models and check the lines where their answers disagree.
Free Six Sigma Certification (White Belt, $0 Exam)
Aug 30, 2026
A free Six Sigma White Belt certification ($0 exam), plus a chatbot prompt ("Where does work sit and wait") to find the bottlenecks in a process you own.
Free AI Agents Course With Certificate (Hugging Face)
Aug 30, 2026
Hugging Face's free course on building AI agents, with a free certificate of completion and no deadline. Each chapter is about 3-4 hours; you need a computer and a free account.
Free University Courses With Badges (No Account Needed)
Aug 28, 2026
The Open University's OpenLearn has hundreds of free courses across nine subjects. You can start without an account; badged courses end in a digital badge and most others offer a statement of participation.
Accenture's Free AI Course (The Certificate Is Free Too)
Aug 27, 2026
Accenture covers the paid upgrade on a FutureLearn AI course, so the certificate is free: 3 weeks at 2 hours a week, self-paced. Complete 90%+ of steps and score 70%+ on tests.
Elements Of AI: Free Course, Free University Credit
Aug 27, 2026
The University of Helsinki's free Elements of AI course (2M+ learners, self-paced, open to anyone). Finishing it lets you apply for a free transcript with 2 university credits.
ChatGPT Prompt To Get Real Feedback, Not Compliments
Aug 26, 2026
A one-line prompt tip: paste your email or proposal and add "Answer as the person who has to approve this, not me" to get objections instead of polished wording.
Asana's Free AI Certificate Is Ranked Top 3 By Forbes
Aug 25, 2026
Asana Academy's free AI for Work Skill Badge: five short courses (1-2 hours total) and a 20-question quiz (80% to pass). New Asana users are enrolled in a trial when they start.
Oxford's Free AI Certificate For Legal Professionals
Aug 25, 2026
The University of Oxford's free online course on AI in justice systems (about 12 hours, self-paced) with a free Oxford certificate. Built for judges, lawyers, court staff and policymakers.
Mastercard Free Cybersecurity Certificate (1 Hour)
Aug 24, 2026
Mastercard's free cybersecurity job simulation (about 1 hour): as a security-awareness analyst you design a phishing test and analyze which teams clicked. Certificate at the end.
Free AI Marketing Course From Adobe And LinkedIn
Aug 23, 2026
Adobe and LinkedIn's free AI Essentials for Marketers program on LinkedIn Learning: four role-based courses in 47 languages. The certificate of completion is only for paid LinkedIn Learning members.
Course free, certificate only for paid LinkedIn Learning members.
Indiana University's Free AI Course And Badge (3 Hours)
Aug 22, 2026
Indiana University Kelley School of Business' free GenAI 101 course and badge: 3 hours, 8 self-paced modules, open to anyone with a free IU Expand guest account.
Free Canva AI Certificate (8 Lessons, No Expiry)
Aug 21, 2026
Canva's free AI certification course: 8 lessons (about 70 minutes) on using AI to build and deliver material for others, an end test with unlimited attempts, and a certificate that does not expire.
Santander's Free AI Course With Certificate, Any Country
Aug 20, 2026
Santander Open Academy's Introduction to Generative AI: 8 hours, self-paced, fully funded by Santander, with a free certificate. Open to anyone 16+ in any country.
HP's Free AI Certificate: 425,000 People Already Have It
Aug 19, 2026
HP LIFE's free AI for Beginners course (7 sections, 8 languages) with a free certificate of completion, plus 30+ other free courses on the platform.
British Airways Data Science Certificate In 3 Hours, Free
Aug 18, 2026
British Airways' free data-science job simulation on Forage (3-4 hours): work the team's real tasks and compare with their answers. No application; certificate and resume snippet at the end.
IBM Free AI Certificate (There Is A Real Exam)
Aug 17, 2026
IBM SkillsBuild's free Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals badge, earned through IBM-designed courses, graded quizzes, a final assessment and practice simulations.
Google Meet Takes Notes At In-Person Meetings Now
Aug 16, 2026
Product news: Google Meet's "Take notes" now works for in-person meetings, with Gemini producing a summary, action items and transcript in Google Docs (paid Workspace plans).
UNESCO Will Certify You In AI Ethics For Free
Aug 16, 2026
UNESCO's free AI ethics course on Coursera (10 modules, about 10 hours, 12 languages) covering fairness, privacy, transparency and governance. The certificate is free too.
Anthropic's Free AI Course Teaches You To Doubt AI
Aug 15, 2026
Anthropic's free AI Fluency course teaches the 4D framework (Delegation, Description, Discernment, Diligence), including spotting when the AI is wrong. Final assessment and free certificate.
NASA Free Course With Certificate (Open To Anyone)
Aug 14, 2026
NASA's free Open Science 101 (5 modules, about 12 hours) covers open data, code and results, with a NASA certificate and digital badge. He notes registration closed Aug 15 at capacity, with limited reopening expected mid-September.
Registration was closed/capacity-limited at posting; check status.
How this list is maintained
How programs are added and checked
Every listing comes from the program's official page (or the VA or government agency that runs it) and links back to it. Links and details were last checked Sep 30 to Oct 4, 2026; each card shows the date it was last checked under "More details". Suggestions sent by email are checked against the official page before they are added.
What "Verify details" means
Some eligibility, cost or format details were not clearly stated on the official page, so the program is still listed but you should confirm those details with the program before you apply.
What the score means
Credential strength (1 to 5) is how much the credential or benefit is likely to count in a job search: 5 = proctored, industry-standard certification or accredited graduate degree from a well-known school; 4 = recognized certification, accredited degree, paid fellowship or major funding benefit; 3 = certification prep, vendor credential or hiring pathway; 2 = course certificate, badge, career services or small scholarship; 1 = learning materials or closed programs. Support services are not credentials, so they are not scored and are listed in their own group.
How the list is sorted
"Free first" puts programs that are free with no benefit needed at the top, then programs that are free or paid through a benefit (GI Bill, VR&E, VET TEC), each ordered by credential strength, with fully checked listings before "Verify details" ones. CyberSkills2Work's pathways and the Forage job simulations are each grouped into one card.
Spreadsheet
The Excel download has the same questions and sort. It needs Excel 365 / 2021 or newer, or LibreOffice 24.8 or newer, for the live list; older apps can use the filters on the "All Programs" tab.