Respect services, authorized futures: Coursera’s cooperation with joint service organizations
Leaded by Isa Rivera, Military ERG, Coursera
On Independence Day, we celebrate the freedom we enjoy – we are honored to support our service members and military spouses with work-related skills to help build their future.
As a leader and member of the Military Family of Coursera Military Employees Resource Group (ERG), I am particularly proud of the work of supporting military organizations through our Social Impact Program, which provides free learning for more than 100 nonprofits.
Today, I would like to highlight our partnership with United Services Organization (USO), a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening service members, with free access to the Coursera Certificate Program as well as USO’s wraparound services. Together, we have helped over 10,000 military learners build the skills and qualifications they need to improve their careers.
“This partnership has been a strong pairing since we started in April 2021, and it’s incredible to watch collective influence Coursera and USO expand career opportunities for our military community,” said Lisa Elswick, vice president of USO Programs.
Create avenues from service to civilian occupations
In 2024, the USO Transition Program has developed over 10,000 personalized action plans to help service members and military spouses improve their careers, including career counseling and access to Coursera’s job-related catalog. More than 75% of enrollment comes from active service members, the Army and Navy are the most active military departments.
A learner, U.S. Army Captain Philip H. (Philip H. He said, “I am interested in expanding my skills as much as possible to make myself a more sales candidate in the civilian workforce. ”
Philip achieved his ultimate goal of becoming a software engineer after completing his IBM data analyst certificate on Coursera.
Top Certificate Programs in USO Members
Coursera offers over 90 entry-level professional certificates that build employment skills in high demand areas – no degree or previous experience required. In 2024, the certificate completion through the USO program increased by 97% compared with the previous year. The most popular certificates are: Industry-related skills are:
We are humbly working with USO and other nonprofits to help military learners build the skills they need to shape the future.
