To support workforce development and lifelong learning, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is collaborating with Gale, part of Cengage Group, to provide public libraries across Texas with access to Gale Presents: Udemy via TexShare.

Available at participating public libraries, the Gale Presents: Udemy online learning platform provides public library cardholders access to more than 19,000 continuously updated, on-demand video courses across a variety of categories such as business, technology, design and personal enrichment. Courses are taught by highly-regarded instructors and offer a customized educational experience for those who are looking to learn new technologies and skills to stay relevant in an ever-changing workforce. Additionally, nearly half of the course collection is taught by subject matter experts in their native language, enabling Texas residents to learn and upskill in their preferred language.

Texas officials recently announced a $3.5 Million Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) grant, which demonstrates their interest in investing in the state’s workforce. Additionally, reducing unemployment is key to economic growth and community strength.

"Texas is committed to developing its workforce and bringing more jobs to the state, and this resource supports that priority,” said Gloria Meraz, director and state librarian at TSLAC. “We want to make sure that anyone who wants to grow their professional skills can. Gale Presents: Udemy is an accessible, easy way to upskill.”

Gale Presents: Udemy offers:

• Unlimited, On-Demand Access to 19,000+ Curated Courses Across Many Categories: access to high-quality, in-demand content covering technical and business skills.
• Current and Relevant Courses: provides the most up-to-date content available on the market. Courses are updated or replaced regularly with new material on emerging topics, ensuring learners are developing skills in the most relevant, in-demand areas.
• World-Class Instructors: users are taught by leading experts who are world-class thought leaders, subject matter experts, bestselling authors and award-winning professors that are making advancements in their fields.
• 10,000+ International Collection Courses: offers thousands of courses taught by instructors in their native language, going beyond traditional content dubbing and video captions. Languages include Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
• Smart Recommendations: gives users course suggestions based on previous interactions with the platform.
• Supplemental Course Resources: helps reinforce learning and put newly learned skills into practice. More than 60% of courses in Gale Presents: Udemy include assignments, quizzes, practice tests and coding exercises. Additionally, 90% of the courses offer subtitles and/or transcripts for video lectures to support a variety of learning styles.
• Variety of Course Topics: courses cover content on leadership and management, coding, design, marketing, IT operations, data science, project management, human resources, sales, accounting and finance, productivity and more.
• Anytime, Anywhere Access: with the iOS and Android apps, users can download courses to view offline, listen with podcast-style audio and watch using Chromecast or Apple TV.

“Gale has been sharing its resources with the Texas K-12 community for years, and now we are honored to be able to help shape the future of the workforce through their public libraries,” said Shawn Clark, senior vice president of Gale’s domestic learning business. “These professional development resources will benefit individuals and business across the entire state.”

Texas residents can access Gale Presents: Udemy through participating public libraries.

“In today’s economic environment, it’s never been more important for businesses and individuals to prioritize learning so they can continue to keep pace with innovation by upskilling themselves and their workforce,” said Cody Crnkovich, vice president of partners and business development at Udemy. “We’re thrilled to be working with Gale and TSLAC to democratize access to critical skills and education, ensuring every Texan can take control of their professional development and help steer companies forward.”

For more information and to access Gale resources, Texans can visit the TexShare and TexQuest websites.

About Cengage Group and Gale

Cengage Group, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, part of Cengage Group, provides libraries with original and curated content, as well as the modern research tools and technology that are crucial in connecting libraries to learning, and learners to libraries. For more than 65 years, Gale has partnered with libraries around the world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights – where, when and how people need it. Gale has 500 employees globally with its main operations in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.gale.com.