LinkedIn is viewed by many people as a jobs site, and by others as a social media network for business. But, the platform was expanded several years ago to include one of the largest online learning libraries on the Internet. Formerly known as Lynda.com, that platform was purchased and rebranded to LinkedIn Learning, and the entire library of courses (over 15,000) is available to anyone who has any type of paid LinkedIn account, including Sales Navigator, Recruiter, and Premium Career and Business. Many people who already have a Premium account may not even realize they have access to LinkedIn Learning. It’s easy to check by going to your LinkedIn profile on the desktop and clicking “Work” in the menu bar, then selecting “Learning”. You will be taken to the LinkedIn Learning pages and either shown the library of courses or shown an option to try it for free for a month.

Courses in the library are professionally produced by the LinkedIn team and are developed and delivered by experts in their field. The topics are extensive and include many software titles including Bluebeam, P6, Project, Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, Revit, and many more. Soft skills topics include everything from business writing to dealing with stress (two topics that apply to all of us in the concrete industry). On the architecture, engineering and construction side of things, topics include estimating, lean construction, project delivery methods, managing risk, occupational safety and health, and even a course on concrete and concrete reinforcing.

Part of attracting and retaining people in our workforce includes training and upskilling employees throughout their careers. LinkedIn Learning takes a skills-based approach to learning. Many of the courses include assessment questions, and companies can establish enterprise accounts where company administrators can curate and assign courses and can track employee progress.

Additional features on LinkedIn Learning include a Q&A tab, where learners can post questions and start discussions with other course learners, and the course instructor is notified so they can weigh in with an answer. This feature is available on desktop and mobile. One of the latest features is the addition of Live Office Hours. These are livestreamed broadcasts scheduled by instructors that you can view live to post comments and questions for the instructors or listen to the replay later when it's convenient. A recent topic included a discussion on the sustainability benefits of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) that can be viewed here.

New courses are published by LinkedIn Learning every week. Several industry experts from around the world have additional architecture, engineering and construction courses in the works, existing courses are being updated with the latest information, and learning paths have been created to group courses and allow learners to upskill and earn certificates of completion. In addition, there are a number of courses that include certificates for CEUs issued by the Project Management Institute. Learn more by visiting LinkedIn Learning and view scheduled Live Office Hours.