Explore The Best 2025 Online Courses for School-Leavers

Find out why you should continue your studies after school

Studying after school can hold many benefits. Here are a few main reasons why studying after school is an excellent option.

Help you discover your passion

It can be intimidating and really overwhelming to figure out what you want to do with your life. Not only do you need to determine what it is that you genuinely love doing, but you also need to discover what you’re good at.

However, contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to know exactly which career path you want to take before studying. I.e., you don’t have to know you want to be a lawyer, social media manager, or accountant. Instead, you simply need to know what industry you’re interested in.

From there, you can choose to study for a higher certificate in that industry to teach you more about all the pathways you can take. Hence, learning is a great way to open your eyes to all possibilities and help you determine your true passions.

Build your skills

Studying helps you build up hard and soft skills:

• Hard skills are measurable, quantifiable skills you learn through training and experiences, such as how to use specific software, how to manage account transactions, etc.
• Soft skills are personality traits that allow you to interact better with other people, such as communication, time management, and teamwork skills.

Studying will, directly and indirectly, help you develop these skills. For example, as part of your course, you may need to learn how to use different social media platforms (which is a hard skill). You may also learn how to collaborate with other students (which is a soft skill).

Provide a wide selection of opportunities

If you’re planning on travelling, studying before you travel will allow you to set out into the world with valuable skills and qualifications that can help you find unexpected job opportunities.

Thus, having a qualification will open the doors to a broader range of work opportunities, both locally and abroad.

What online courses should you study in 2025?

If you’re unsure which profession you want to get into, unclear about the possibilities of a particular industry, or not ready to fully commit to an intensive three-year degree, studying towards a higher certificate is a great option.

Choosing an institution that offers online studies is even better since this will save you time while studying. Studies show that online learning takes 40%–60% less time than traditional studies.

Studying towards a higher certificate with MANCOSA will allow you to study online and immerse yourself in the industry so you can discover new possibilities. You’ll also have the chance to work while studying to get your foot in the door early on.

Here are some of the top higher certificate courses you should consider:

Digital marketing

Digital marketing is growing every year. After all, every business needs marketing to get clients. Thus, entering the digital marketing space is excellent if you enjoy communicating products, selling, or marketing.

Since there are many avenues within the digital marketing industry, such as social media, content marketing, paid advertising, and much more, you’ll be able to choose one or more avenues to specialise in.

The Higher Certificate in Digital Marketing teaches you the foundational elements of digital marketing. It gives you a broad overview of the careers you can pursue within this industry and teaches you the necessary skills to get started.

Paralegal studies

Pursuing a Higher Certificate in Paralegal Studies is a great way to immerse yourself in the legal sector. This higher certificate will equip you with the skills and knowledge to handle various legal issues.

Furthermore, it’ll teach you to manage functional areas related to civil and criminal litigation processes, office practice management, debt collection, and much more. So, if you’ve always been passionate about the legal industry, this is an excellent qualification to get you started!

Accounting

Do finances and numbers get you excited? The Higher Certificate in Accounting will teach you all about the accounting industry. With it, you’ll learn to understand accounting principles and how to apply theory to practice.

You’ll also learn about the different accounting jobs available so that you can choose to specialise in the one you enjoy most.

Project management

Project management might be the ideal industry if you’re a natural-born planner who enjoys planning, organising, and getting things done.

The Higher Certificate in Project Management will teach you the fundamentals of excellent project management. With it, you’ll learn how to manage projects effectively for companies in almost any industry.

You’ll also learn to use all the appropriate tools and strategies to enter the project management job market quickly so you can start your career within whichever industry you choose.

Information technology

Are you someone who enjoys computers and anything related to technology? Then a Higher Certificate in Information Technology might be ideal.

With it, you’ll learn the core elements of information technology, including computer and hardware architecture, information systems, an introduction to programming, and much more.

You’ll also learn key communication and project management skills to undertake information technology tasks within any organisation.

Explore the online courses offered by MANCOSA

Do any of the courses mentioned above sound like the ideal fit for you? Want to learn more about the program or how you can apply? Fill out a request form so a consultant can get back to you

Did none of these courses sound like a good fit for you and your passions? We have many more Higher Certificate courses available. Head over to the MANCOSA Higher Certificate online courses page to browse our other programmes.