10 Skills Your Employees Need in February 2019

Each month, Udemy for Business adds hundreds of new courses covering the latest technical and professional skills. Here are some of the latest trending topics added to our collection:

Tech skills

1. Microsoft Azure

In the past, IT used to be siloed into separate roles (e.g. network admin, storage admin, Linux admin, and VMWare admin), but today, these lines are being blurred into an overarching cloud administration approach. With this shift, every IT pro must transition their skills to be relevant in the context of the cloud. Some experts recommend that everyone in your IT department be certified in the cloud, regardless of their specific role. See How to Prepare for the New Microsoft Azure Certification AZ-100.

The trend toward a preference for multi-cloud providers has opened the door for Microsoft Azure to make inroads into the cloud space. While Amazon is still the market leader, Azure grew by 90% and Google Cloud by 73% versus AWS’ 46% growth in 2017. Companies like Home Depot are “cloud-agnostic” and use both Azure and Google Cloud.

AZ-900 Azure Exam Prep: Understanding Cloud Concepts by Thomas Mitchell is a foundation-level course on Udemy for Business that focuses on terminology and cloud concepts. This non-technical course introduces concepts such as the benefits and considerations of using cloud services, the differences between Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and differences between public, private, and hybrid cloud models. Instructor Thomas Mitchell is a Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory expert who focuses on “the big picture” when designing and implementing IT solutions.

Additionally, for those who are already familiar with the technological concepts and looking to transition their existing 70-533 certification, AZ-102 Azure Administrator Transition Exam Cert Prep by Scott Duffy goes through all the requirements of the AZ-102 exam. By the end of the course, participants will be ready to take the official exam for becoming a Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate.

“As usual, Scott delivers a great course! This is to-the-point, and follows the skills listed on the Microsoft Exam page. I found this course a great way to review skills I knew, and explore skills I needed for the exam. I coupled this course with Azure documentation and hands-on practice. I took the exam this week and passed!” – Course review

2. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

According to GeekWire, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is bigger than its four major competitors combined. When it comes to AWS certification, engineer Moneer Rifai writes on HackerNoon, “In the case of AWS and cloud computing however, this is not a trend, but the new normal. Ignorance here will make you irrelevant, very fast.”

For System Administrators responsible for the operation of multi-user, cloud-connected systems, the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate certification continues to grow in importance. One of the most challenging AWS exams, it’s great at assessing how well someone understands not just AWS, but how they administer it and troubleshoot issues, which makes this certification incredibly valuable to have and pass.

Ultimate AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate 2019 helps prepare participants for the SysOps Administrator Associate Certification (SOA-C01) exam through hands-on lectures, quizzes, and a practice exam to apply concepts firsthand. Instructor Stephane Maarek has passed the AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Developer, and SysOps exams, and is the author of highly rated and best-selling courses on AWS Certifications, AWS Lambda, AWS CloudFormation, and AWS EC2. He’s already taught 60,000+ students and received 15,000+ reviews on Udemy.

“Got 93.8% on SysOps exam after taking this course. Highly recommended!” – Course review

3. Web development

It’s no secret that web development is an in-demand skill, and all signs point to its continued dominance in the job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for developers in the United States is expected to grow much faster than average in the next five years. And web developer is already listed as #6 of the top 13 most in-demand tech jobs for 2019 according to Robert Half Technology’s 2019 IT salary report.

Help your employees build their web development skills with Udemy for Business courses like The Complete 2019 Web Development Bootcamp by Angela Yu and Using SOLID Principles to Write Better Code – A Crash Course by Riaan Nel. Popular instructor Angela Yu has taught more than 180,000 students on Udemy and helped thousands of students learn to code and change their lives by becoming a developer. Her course is designed to teach absolute beginners how to become full-stack developers.

Riaan’s course helps students learn how to write good code using tried-and-tested principles from the world of object-oriented software development. Specifically, it unpacks what SOLID means, what its benefits are, and how students can apply SOLID principles to improve the architecture of their own code, regardless of which object-oriented programming language they use.

“Angela is absolutely phenomenal, explains things clearly, gives great instructions. 10/10 Would recommend whether new or expert.” – Course review

4. Alteryx

Data science fueled by AI and machine learning is opening up new possibilities across every industry. Alteryx’s recent 2018 software release revolutionizes the way data science is applied in the business setting—enhancing the way leaders make data-driven decisions. Alteryx is a new data science and machine learning platform—named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant in February 2018. Given its strong momentum this year, Alteryx is the #7 fastest-growing skill in 2019 on our Udemy platform of 30+ million learners. See Top 10 Tech Skills for 2019.

Companies need highly skilled people to help them analyze their data. Alteryx helps prepare data quickly and efficiently—the critical first step that comes before visualizing the data in a tool like Tableau or Power BI.

Students can learn the basics of Alteryx and build a solid foundation in Alteryx Masterclass – crash course in Alteryx for beginners. Instructor Daniel We is an entrepreneur, data scientist, and data analytics visual analytics consultant. He is certified in Power BI as well as a Qualified Associate in Tableau software.

“Daniel is my favorite instructor on Udemy. With his enthusiasm and excitement for sharing his knowledge, along with his seemingly personal drive for continuous learning about the latest and greatest tools available, Daniel provides easy to follow instruction when introducing or expounding on various types of data transformation. He does a great job of selecting the most useful features that can make a novice feel like a master as you follow along the various exercises. Thank you Daniel!” – Course review

5. Deep learning in Python

According to Oracle, the data sets now available are “so voluminous that traditional data processing software just can’t manage them.” However, “massive volumes of data can be used to address business problems you wouldn’t have been able to tackle before. Big data can help you address a range of business activities, from customer experience to analytics.”

The demand for data scientists continues to grow—it was ranked the #4 of top 13 most in-demand tech jobs for 2019 according to Robert Half Technology’s 2019 IT salary report.

In Recommender Systems and Deep Learning in Python by Lazy Programmer, students will look at the recommender systems that power the top websites like Google, YouTube, and Facebook as well as popular news feed algorithms like Reddit, Hacker News, and Google PageRank. The course covers Bayesian recommendation techniques that are being used by a large number of media companies today. Instructor Lazy Programmer is a data scientist, big data engineer, and full stack software engineer. He received his Masters degree in computer engineering with a specialization in machine learning and pattern recognition.

“This class is great for anyone who wants to learn cutting edge recommended system structures, without having to have prior experience with the tools used in this course itself.” – Course Review

Soft skills

1. Collaborative leadership

One of the top HR priorities for 2019 according to Gartner is developing “connector managers” or those who connect the right people and resources at the right time. Connector managers are standout performance coaches, and triple the likelihood that their direct reports will be high performers.

This relates to Udemy instructor Erica Dhawan’s concept of “connectional intelligence.” A Psychology Today article explains, “Connectional intelligence recognizes that leaps in creativity and progress cannot be achieved in solitude. They require forming relationships, wielding influence well, and sharing a vision so compelling that others adopt it as their own.”

In Get Big Things Done: Become a Standout Collaborator, Erica teaches how to supercharge collaboration and build powerful connections to win. Participants will create an action plan for building their network, a set of norms of how they communicate, and a guidebook to execute on big things that get them noticed as a standout collaborator. Erica is the world’s leading authority on Connectional Intelligence and the Founder & CEO of Cotential. She is the co-author of the best-selling book Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence.

“Erica Dhawan presented a comprehensive guide to collaborating with others in order to achieve your goals. She provided a step by step guide which was easy to follow. I truly valued the lessons and will watch it again.” – Course review

2. Understanding Diversity & Inclusion for leaders

According to Josh Bersin, Diversity & Inclusion is a business strategy, not an HR program. Research from McKinsey reinforces the link between diversity and company financial performance. Yet while over 70% of companies believe they are advanced in this area, only 11% truly understand the depth of the problem.

In A Diversity Deep-Dive, Lessons for Leaders and Managers!, students will examine questions such as why Diversity & Inclusion is so hard to accept and improve and which barriers may be preventing their organization from making progress.

Instructor Sivakami S is an experienced business leader with nearly two decades of rich experience in large multinational corporations like Microsoft and Verizon.

“Amazing course, filled with valuable and applicable information! It opened my eyes to a lot of ideas I had not considered. I look forward to using the new knowledge! It has been a pleasure taking this course!” – Course Review

3. Powerful social skills and connection

Old habits—whether they’re based on our interactions with others or our own perceptions—can be hard to change. But Udemy for Business courses cover a range of personal development topics such as social skills and connection and mastering your mindset to help your employees build better habits.

In Develop Amazing Social Skills & Connect With People, instructor Alain Wolf helps learners develop confidence in approaching people so they can make new friends, get new clients, or simply attract more opportunities in their life. Alain is a recognized expert in the field of social skills and communication skills with over 15 years of experience. His work has been featured on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, CW, and 300+ nationally syndicated television, newspaper, and magazine outlets.

In Master Your Mindset & Brain: Framestorm Your Way to Success, instructor Anette Prehn introduces mental flexibility and self-regulation to help participants succeed in business.

Anette’s method helps participants move from resisting and feeling stuck, angry, sad, or fearful to feeling optimally resourceful. This course covers a three-step mental reframing method called Framestorm, the key neuroscientific principles behind Framestorm and how to apply them, and plenty of case studies to see how Framestorm works in real life.

“Alain talks clearly about the basics of improving social interactions in an interesting, understandable, and engaging way.” – Course review

4. Finance for non-financial managers

All managers can benefit from basic financial knowledge, even if it’s not directly tied to their current job. Every day, managers make decisions that have an impact on their company’s financial standing, but they often “lack the basic financial skills to allow them to understand the financial implications of their decisions,” writes Lianable Oliver in an ATD article.

Finance for Non-Finance: Learn Quick and Easy by Anthony Jameson is ideally suited to non-financial managers or small business owners who would like to improve their business performance. It covers all the essentials of basic finance and budgeting, including accounting basics and how to understand financial statements, balance sheets, and income statements. By the end of the course, participants will have boosted their business and financial literacy, resulting in well-informed economic decisions.

“Good explanation for all levels of accounting and finance. Perfect pace.” – Course review

5. Boosting employee engagement

Environmental sustainability is an issue that matters to many companies—94% of the Fortune 500 have public, specific sustainability targets. But without employee engagement and buy-in, companies struggle to move the needle on their sustainability goals.

In Green Jujitsu: Smart Employee Engagement for Sustainability, instructor Gareth Kane introduces the unique concept of “Green Jujitsu.” Gareth writes, “In the same way a jujitsu master adjusts their techniques to exploit the strengths of their opponent, in Green Jujitsu we find the overlap between the interests of our audience and Sustainability and start our engagement there.” The course covers how to identify the existing culture in the organization and how to use that culture to engage colleagues from the front-line to the boardroom. Gareth draws on his experience helping businesses get the most of the sustainability agenda for the last 17 years. He has worked with a long list of blue chip clients including Black & Decker, the BBC, BAE Systems, Johnson Matthey, the NHS, East Coast Mainline and Sage plc.

“Great concepts that apply in a lot of realms. Very inspiring to learn that this type of course exists!” – Course review

Check out the fastest-growing top 10 tech & soft skills on Udemy in 2019. Download the infographic here.