Best Education Tools To Boost Your Programming Skills

Continuing education is a necessity for every tech professional. You need to stay abreast of the changes in programming that are currently going on in order to stay competitive and up-to-date. And, as there are a lot of things to keep track of — including new languages, hardware systems and approaches — you want to maximize your time while learning.

So what are some good resources you can use to get the information you need? To find out, we asked entrepreneurs from YEC to weigh in on their preferences for continuing education tools, courses, or platforms tech professionals can use to improve their programming skills. Here is what they advise trying:

1. CodinGame

CodinGame is a great platform that mixes learning with gaming so you can brush up on your skills and have fun at the same time. You can compete against your co-workers in multiplayer programming games and play in online programming competitions, too. – Blair Williams, MemberPress

2. Google

We have a development agency which requires non-stop continual education to keep our standards up. We implement 10 percent time, which means all team members are asked to use at least 10 percent of their time for continuing education. As for the platforms they use, Google is a hell of a platform for upcoming technology. If there is a fine-tuned course on something, that means you are already pretty late. – James Guldan, Vision Tech Team

3. GitHub Learning Lab

GitHub has a learning lab on their website that has come in handy. Whether you’re looking to learn more about how GitHub works for shared programming or need some markdown tips, their resources are great for keeping up with the current programming trends. – John Turner, https://www.seedprod.com

4. In-Person Conversations

Get out from behind the computer and talk to people! Attend meetups, conferences and hackathons, and have conversations with the programmers out there teaching the latest approaches. The people that are out talking about programming love to chat about all kinds of intricate details you can’t get online. They can also answer your questions, so you immediately know if this latest thing is for you. – Monica Snyder, Birdsong

5. Live Webinars

I ask my team to devote and report one to two hours per week for training, and this is mostly done by attending live online webinars. As a founder of a digital marketing agency focused on SEO and SEM, I identify specific free webinars for my team to attend that are hosted by the leaders in our space. I need my team on the cutting edge of Google trends and updates. – Matthew Capala, Alphametic

6. Lynda.com

Lynda.com is a great site to learn almost anything that requires a computer. From advanced coding classes to UX design courses, they have a wide range of course selections to help you learn almost anything. This is a great perk to give software developers so they are encouraged to continue learning. – Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

7. Local Hackathons

There’s more to programming than textbook theories and languages, so hackathons are a great way to test and improve your skills and adaptability in real-world situations, while learning from others at the same time. – Sam Saxton, Paragon Stairs

8. Online Communities

One of the most helpful platforms I have found is online communities. Not only are online communities typically free, they are also usually bustling with cutting-edge info, sometimes even before other types of media catch on. Whether you’re a .Net or PHP programmer, online communities, such as subreddits, also offer exciting opportunities to pick the brains of experts and others in your field. – Shu Saito, Fact Retriever

9. Treehouse

Treehouse is our favorite tool for continuous learning. We give our team free access so they can learn and stay up to date on the latest technology trends. It’s awesome because you can see what your team is learning and what they gravitate to learn, which makes it easier to identify who to delegate certain projects to. – Jared Atchison, WPForms

10. Udemy

Udemy always has the latest languages and courses on all of them. The great thing is that if you enroll in let’s say an iOS class, the instructor may keep updating it as new updates come out, without you having to purchase another class. They are also usually well-reviewed so you can get a preview of what to expect. There are also Q&As in almost every section of the lesson, which really helps. – Adelaida Sofia Diaz-Roa, Nomo FOMO

11. YouTube

I like being able to watch videos about whatever language I want to keep up with, fast-forward through what I know, and rewind if I need to rewatch something. Find some YouTubers that teach the language you want to keep up with and subscribe to their channel. This way it will stay top of mind any time you log into YouTube. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner