By Isa Rivera, Military ERG Lead, Coursera
On Independence Day, we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy — and we’re proud to support U.S. service members and military spouses with job-relevant skills to help build their futures.
As a leader of Coursera’s Military Employee Resource Group (ERG) and a member of a military family, I’m especially proud of our work supporting military organizations through our social impact program, which provides free learning to over 100 nonprofits.
Today, I want to highlight our collaboration with the United Services Organization (USO), a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening service members that offers free access to Coursera certificate programs alongside the USO’s wraparound services. Together, we’ve helped over 10,000 military learners build the skills and credentials they need to advance their careers.
“This partnership has always been such a strong pairing since we started back in April 2021 and it has been incredible to watch the collective impact Coursera and the USO have made to amplify career opportunities for our military community,” said Lisa Elswick, USO Vice President of Programs.
Creating pathways from service to civilian careers
In 2024, the USO Transition Program created over 10,000 personalized Action Plans to help service members and military spouses advance their careers, which include career counseling and access to the job-relevant catalog on Coursera. More than 75% of the enrollments came from active service members, with the Army and Navy being the most active military branches.
One learner, U.S. Army Capt. Philip H., had a degree in mechanical engineering before spending nine years in the Army, with four of those in special forces. He said, “I was interested in broadening my skill set as much as possible to make myself a more marketable candidate in the civilian workforce.”
Philip achieved his ultimate goal of becoming a software engineer after completing the IBM Data Analyst Certificate on Coursera.
Top certificate programs among USO members
Coursera offers over 90+ Entry-level Professional Certificates that build job-ready skills in high-demand fields – no degree or previous experience required. In 2024, certificate completions through the USO Program rose 97% over the previous year. Industry-relevant skills shined with the most popular certificates being:
We’re humbled to partner with the USO and other nonprofits to help military learners build the skills they need to shape their future.
