7 Free and Cheap Certification Programs to Help Your Team Grow

So why is this important?

Most of what I know now, didn't come from school. I learned by using the tools myself. I spent time figuring them out and getting good at them. I also earned certifications that show I can really do the work.

If you want your team to learn new skills, they don't need to necessarily re-enroll in college or complete an expensive certification program either. There are lots of free and cheap certifications out there. They help you learn fast and prove what you know.

In this post, I'll share 7 great places where your team can get certified. These programs are useful, easy to follow, and don't cost much (some are even free). Let's dive in!

Short Answer

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get your team certified. Many websites offer free or cheap programs that teach real skills. Some of the best are Webflow University, Make Academy, LinkedIn Learning, HubSpot Academy, Notion Academy, Atlassian University, and Asana Academy.

These programs help you learn important tools like website design, project management, and automation. Plus, they give you a certificate when you finish, showing that you know your stuff.

Certifications are great, but what really matters is using what you learn in real life. So, pick a program, start learning, and help your team grow!

Webflow University: Learn to Build Websites Without Code

If you’ve ever wanted to build a website but don’t know how to code, Webflow University is the perfect place to start. Webflow lets you design and build websites without writing any code. It’s great for beginners and even better for anyone who wants to get their hands on a website project quickly. The best part? You can earn certificates that prove you know how to use Webflow like a pro.

How It Works: Webflow University has lots of short videos that walk you through every step of making a website. These videos show you how to use the Webflow tool, pick colors and fonts, and organize everything on the page. You can also learn how to make sure your website works on phones and tablets, not just computers.

What You Learn: Your team will learn how to create a website from start to finish. Webflow teaches you how to design pages, add animations, and even set up a simple store. All of this can be done without touching a single line of code. Plus, the skills your team picks up here can be used on other projects, too. It's perfect for anyone in marketing, design, or who wants to help build a better online presence for your company.

Why It’s Useful for Your Team: Webflow University is great because it teaches real-world skills. You don’t just watch videos—you actually work on a project while learning. This means your team can apply what they’ve learned right away by building landing pages or even full websites for your business. Earning a Webflow certification shows that your team knows how to use this tool well, which can help with client work or your own marketing projects.

Example:
Let’s say your design team takes Webflow’s free courses. They could start by building a new landing page for your company’s next campaign. This way, the team not only learns how to use Webflow, but they also create something useful right away. Once the project is done, they’ll have proof of their skills through a Webflow certification.

Certificates that Count: When your team completes the courses and passes the tests, they get a certificate. This certificate shows they have the skills to design and build websites. You can even share these certificates on LinkedIn or include them in proposals to show your clients or customers that your team is up to date with the latest web design tools.

Make Academy: Learn Automation Without Code

Automation helps save time and get more work done. That’s what Make Academy teaches your team. It shows how to automate tasks that you do over and over again. And the best part? You don’t need to know how to code!

How It Works: Make Academy has simple courses that guide you step-by-step on how to set up automation for things like emails, reports, and even customer data. You’ll watch easy videos that show you how to connect different tools your team already uses. For example, you can connect Gmail with Google Sheets, so emails turn into data right away.

What You Learn: Your team learns how to automate everyday tasks. This might include moving data between apps or setting up alerts for important events. Automation means your team spends less time on boring tasks and more time on work that matters. It’s like having a helper that runs things in the background while your team focuses on the big stuff.

Why It’s Useful for Your Team: Make Academy is great because it gives your team real skills they can use right away. They’ll learn how to create systems that handle repetitive jobs, so they don’t have to do them by hand. This makes your team more productive, letting them focus on more creative or important tasks. By earning a certification from Make Academy, your team can show they’re experts at making work easier and faster.

Example:
Let’s say your team learns how to automate a weekly report using Make Academy. Instead of spending hours gathering data, the system will do it for them. All they need to do is check the report once it’s done. This saves time and ensures the job gets done without mistakes.

Certificates that Count: Once your team finishes the courses, they can take a test and get certified. This certificate shows that they know how to use Make to create helpful automations. You can share these certificates online or with clients to show that your team is skilled in making work more efficient.

LinkedIn Learning: Learn New Skills from Experts

LinkedIn Learning is a place where your team can learn almost anything. It offers tons of courses taught by experts in many different fields. Whether your team wants to get better at leadership, design, or even software, LinkedIn Learning has courses that can help.

How It Works: LinkedIn Learning has lots of video lessons. Your team can watch these videos to learn new skills. The videos are short and easy to follow. You can pause, rewind, or watch them as many times as you need. After finishing a course, your team can take a quiz to test what they’ve learned.

What You Learn: Your team can choose from thousands of topics. They can learn how to be better leaders, improve communication, get better at designing, or master a new software tool. Whether it’s becoming a better speaker or learning to code, there’s a course for it.

Why It’s Useful for Your Team: LinkedIn Learning is useful because it gives your team the chance to learn at their own pace. If someone is trying to improve a skill, they can find a course that fits their needs. Plus, since it’s all online, your team can take lessons anywhere, anytime. The certificates they earn from LinkedIn Learning are respected by many companies, so your team can proudly add them to their resumes.

Example:
Let’s say someone on your team wants to become a better leader. They can take a course on leadership, then practice what they learn in meetings. Or maybe someone wants to get better at design. They can take a course on graphic design and start using those skills in real projects.

Certificates that Count: After your team finishes a course, they can take a test to get certified. These certificates are trusted by companies and show that your team has learned new skills. You can share these certificates on LinkedIn, put them in your portfolio, or use them to show clients what your team is capable of.

HubSpot Academy: Master Marketing and Sales

HubSpot Academy is perfect for anyone who works in marketing or sales. It teaches important skills like how to get more customers, improve customer service, and use tools like a CRM (Customer Relationship Management). The best part is that most of the courses are free, and your team can earn a certificate after finishing.

How It Works: HubSpot Academy has many short, easy-to-follow videos. Your team can watch the videos to learn about marketing, sales, or customer service. There are lessons on things like how to make a website more appealing or how to close more sales. After watching the videos, your team can take quizzes to test what they’ve learned.

What You Learn: Your team will learn how to attract new customers, keep them happy, and make more sales. HubSpot Academy also teaches how to use their CRM, which is a tool that helps track and manage customers. These skills help your team become better at handling business tasks, from marketing campaigns to sales calls.

Why It’s Useful for Your Team: HubSpot Academy is great because it teaches real, practical skills that your team can use right away. They can learn how to improve the way they sell products or reach more customers online. These skills are super helpful for anyone working in sales, marketing, or customer service. And since the lessons are online, your team can take them anytime, from anywhere.

Example:
Let’s say your marketing team takes a course on inbound marketing. After finishing, they can apply what they’ve learned by creating a new marketing campaign that attracts more leads. Or your sales team could take a course on closing deals and then try out new techniques during their next sales calls.

Certificates that Count: Once your team completes a course, they can earn a certificate. These certificates show that they have learned new skills and know how to use HubSpot’s tools. Many companies trust HubSpot’s certificates, so they look great on a resume or LinkedIn profile.

Notion Academy: Get Organized and Boost Productivity

Notion Academy helps your team get better at staying organized. Notion is a tool that can do lots of things, like track tasks, manage projects, and keep notes all in one place. Although the certification program is paused, your team can still learn a lot about how to use Notion to stay on top of their work.

How It Works: Notion Academy has easy lessons that show your team how to use Notion. The lessons teach how to set up task lists, calendars, and databases to keep everything organized. Notion helps your team keep track of work, so nothing gets forgotten. They can learn how to set up templates and systems that make work easier.

What You Learn: Your team learns how to use Notion to organize projects, manage tasks, and keep track of important information. They can create to-do lists, plan out their work, and store notes all in one place. Notion is super flexible, so your team can set it up in a way that works best for them.

Why It’s Useful for Your Team: Notion Academy is useful because it helps your team stay organized and work better together. Instead of using lots of different tools, your team can use Notion to handle everything in one spot. They can track tasks, share notes, and work on projects with the whole team. This makes work easier and helps everyone stay on the same page.

Example:
Let’s say your team is working on a big project. With Notion, they can set up a project board to track tasks, deadlines, and progress. Everyone can see what needs to be done and who is working on what. This helps keep the project on track and makes sure nothing is missed.

Certificates that Count:
While Notion Academy’s certification is paused for now, learning how to use Notion is still valuable. Your team can show off their skills by using Notion to organize work better and be more productive. Even without a certificate, your team will have proof of their skills through the projects they complete using Notion.

Atlassian University: Master Project Management Tools

Atlassian University is where your team can learn to use important project management tools like Jira and Trello. These tools help teams stay organized, track progress, and work together on big projects. With Atlassian’s easy lessons, your team can learn how to manage tasks better and get things done on time. Plus, they can earn certificates that prove they know how to use these tools well.

How It Works: Atlassian University has lots of courses that show your team how to use tools like Jira and Trello. These courses are short and simple to follow. Your team will learn how to set up projects, assign tasks, and track work in a way that makes everything run smoothly. They can also learn how to manage team communication and make sure no steps get missed.

What You Learn: Your team will learn how to use Jira to handle big projects that need a lot of planning. Jira helps break projects down into smaller tasks, so it’s easier to track progress. Trello is great for organizing tasks on boards that show what needs to be done and what’s finished. Both tools are perfect for making sure work gets done on time and with less confusion.

Why It’s Useful for Your Team: Atlassian University is useful because it helps your team stay organized. These tools help everyone know what they should be working on and when things are due. This way, there’s less stress about keeping track of tasks, and your team can focus on getting the work done. Atlassian’s certificates are well-known, so having them shows that your team knows how to manage projects professionally.

Example:
Let’s say your team is working on a new product launch. Using Jira, they can break the launch into smaller steps, like planning, designing, and marketing. Each step can be assigned to different team members, and everyone can see the timeline. With Trello, they can set up boards to keep track of smaller tasks, like writing blog posts, scheduling social media, or testing the product.

Certificates that Count: After finishing a course, your team can take a test to earn a certificate. This certificate shows that they are skilled in using Jira or Trello for project management. Having this certification looks great on a resume and shows clients or managers that your team can handle big projects efficiently.

Asana Academy: Make Project Management Easy

Asana Academy helps your team learn how to manage projects smoothly. Asana is a tool that helps you keep track of tasks, deadlines, and team progress. It’s great for keeping everything organized, so nothing falls through the cracks. Asana Academy offers free courses that show your team how to use Asana for project management, and they can earn certificates when they finish.

How It Works: Asana Academy has easy-to-follow lessons that teach your team how to set up projects, assign tasks, and track work. The courses show how to use Asana’s features, like creating task lists, setting deadlines, and adding notes to tasks. Your team can work together on projects, see what needs to be done, and check progress at any time.

What You Learn: Your team will learn how to set up projects in Asana, track tasks from start to finish, and stay on top of deadlines. Asana lets your team break big projects into smaller tasks, making it easier to manage. They’ll also learn how to assign tasks to team members, keep track of who’s doing what, and make sure everything gets done on time.

Why It’s Useful for Your Team: Asana Academy is useful because it helps your team stay organized and work better together. Instead of juggling tasks or missing deadlines, your team can use Asana to stay on track. Everyone can see what they’re working on, what’s coming up, and what’s finished. Asana makes teamwork easier and helps get projects done faster.

Example:
Imagine your team is planning an event. With Asana, they can create a project that lists everything they need to do, like booking a venue, sending invitations, and setting up the event. Each task can be assigned to a different team member, and everyone can track what’s done and what still needs to be finished. This way, the whole event is organized, and nothing is forgotten.

Certificates that Count:
After completing a course at Asana Academy, your team can earn a certificate. This certificate shows that they know how to manage projects using Asana. These certificates are helpful when showing clients or managers that your team can handle projects effectively and stay organized.

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