Close To 100% Of Our Enrollees Complete Our Online Career Training Programs.

Online training should be the perfect way for us to get on a solid growth path. After all, it can take place anywhere, at any time, and its self-paced nature accommodates work and family responsibilities, but, unfortunately, online training has gotten a bad name because it just doesn’t work for most of us.

Studies indicate that fewer than 20% of participants complete online career training programs. However, this low completion rate isn’t primarily due to individual commitment; it’s largely influenced by the way most online training is designed and delivered.

Lack Of Proper Preparation, Accountability, and Assistance 

No one bothers to measure our interest, aptitude, and perseverance for the training we are about to undertake.

No one evaluates the necessity of additional foundational training, despite the fact that learning resembles a staircase—where each new step builds upon the previous ones. Without a strong foundation, advancing to new concepts becomes challenging or even impossible.

No one helps establish a realistic pace and a realistic timeframe for completing the training, or helps us stay on our agreed-upon pace of study.  

The vast majority of online career training programs are passive, providing us with lengthy recorded lectures followed by unassisted work assignments.

Support is insufficient and often totally lacking. Furthermore, the lack of hands-on application of the new knowledge makes material harder to retain.

The lack of real-world relevance results in training programs that are not connected to practical job skills.

There is often a mismatch in difficulty level — the materials are either too easy (boring) or too hard (frustrating).

The net result is that, on average, over 80% of the people who want to grow decide that it’s not doable and drop out.

How NCLab Training Is Different

NCLab’s in-depth career training programs are fundamentally different from the vast majority of online career training programs. Let’s compare training approaches and the results they produce.

ENGAGING GAMIFIED LEARNING versus INDEPENDENT LEARNING

At NCLab, you’re taught by an engaging Artificial Intelligence (AI) teaching platform that provides you bite-sized knowledge that is immediately followed by gamified mini projects, during which the platform provides you realtime assistance in the form of in-context help, hints, templates, and yes, best practices. Our trainees love the fact that the platform is always there interacting with them and they’re never left alone to do assignments, no matter what time of day they’re working. 

NCLab academic advisors and instructional support personnel also oversee your progress and guide and assist you throughout your training. 

SKILLS-BASED TRAINING versus KNOWLEDGE-BASED TRAINING

Close to 100% of job openings require work experience, so if your objective is to get a job at the end of your training, it’s the SKILLS that you acquire during your training that are key. After all, as an example, employers hire Data Analysts for their ability to perform Data Analyst work (which is a SKILL), not their awareness of the different Data Analyst tools available to perform Data Analyst work (which is KNOWLEDGE). 

NCLab’s competency-based training is unique in the way it makes you knowledgeable AND skilled, by requiring you to successfully complete hundreds of gamified AI-tutored mini projects that confirm your SKILLS in applying the knowledge that you have acquired. No other online career training programs follows a similar approach because it takes hundreds of hours to develop every hour of training.

More About NCLab’s Training

NCLab’s primary mission is to get people who have the ability and desire to grow into great careers. To accomplish that, NCLab:

• Makes sure you can learn and apply new knowledge before you enroll;
• Provides you foundational training, if needed, before you start your primary training;
• Provides you with engaging gamified hands-on work throughout your training to make you job-ready;
• Provides you with the soft skills that are foundational to a professional career;
• Prepares you to take industry-recognized certifications;
• Helps you get noticed, succeed in your job interviews, and get hired. 

The vast majority of other online training programs don’t concern themselves with these needs.

Let’s look closer at each of NCLab’s activities and how they ensure your success.

Applicant Screening

At NCLab, we use a proprietary detailed Career Readiness Assessment that measures your ability to absorb new knowledge and make use of it to solve problems, while also measuring your passion for learning and your perseverance. By successfully completing the assessment, you confirm that you have what it takes to both complete our training and get a great job.  

The vast majority of other online training programs, on the other hand, don’t screen you; instead, they enroll you, using an “add to cart” screen button. 

Foundational Skills

You have a different background than other people and, despite your level of formal education, you often have to take some remedial training. After all, training is much like scaffolding and, without a solid foundation, even learning basic concepts is difficult or often not possible. At NCLab, we provide you foundational training (e.g. workplace math) if it is needed, at no additional cost, so as to ensure that you will be able to more easily complete your training and apply what you learn.

The vast majority of other online training programs, on the other hand, simply specify prerequisites that you often don’t have or need refreshing, and when you fail to complete their training, it is attributed to your inadequate preparedness for the training.

Competency-Based Training

NCLab uses a competency-based learn-by-doing approach to teaching that trainees love. There is no such equivalent training that we are aware in other online career training programs.

Let’s look closer at how competency-based training is accomplished at NCLab:

• You have to make use of each new concept to confirm your ability to apply it before going on to the next concept;
• The primary instructor role is performed by an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based teaching platform that covers every subject, not just those that an instructor chooses to cover or remembers to cover;
• Our engaging AI-based teaching platform helps you with each gamified assignment, overseeing your work and providing you realtime context-specific help, hints, templates, and best practices that we have accumulated over years of helping trainees;
• Individually-assigned academic advisors and instructional support staff assist the AI-based teaching platform in overseeing, guiding, and helping you;
• When you complete your training, you know it all without the need for a final exam.

Soft Skills

In contrast to the vast majority of online training programs that don’t address soft skills, NCLab programs work on your soft skills throughout your training. Academic advisors help you to stay on track and to complete your training while also teaching you important soft skills that employers expect you to have alongside your technical skills; those include independent problem solving, critical and logical thinking, attention to detail, perseverance, professional communication, time management, and adaptability, among others.

Industry-Recognized Certifications

While employers place value on industry-recognized certifications and we at NCLab prepare you for them (including ACT’s Workkeys Applied Math and NCRC, TOSA, CompTIA Data+, and The Python Institute’s PCEP, PCAP, and PCAD), passing a certification exam should not be a goal in itself, since taking an exam is quite different from being job-ready. Job readiness is about having skills and that can only take place with work experience that NCLab training programs provide.

On another note, the vast majority of online training programs ignore industry-recognized certifications and issue you their own certifications, which have questionable value:

“A Coursera certificate alone is unlikely to land you a job.”

— http://resumeworded.com/coursera-certificates-resume-key-advice 

From Enrollment To Employment

Beyond the skills, practical experience, and confidence that you acquire during our learn-by-doing training, our Job Search Service provides you with an AI-assisted job search course and one-to-one assistance on your way to a great job.

Employers recognize the quality of our graduates and actively seek them out through our Employer Recruitment Portal.

As a result, many graduates launch their new careers even before completing their training.

What Our Trainees Think Of Our Training

Following are the results of a recent survey of trainees who were one and a half months into their training. It makes it clear why almost everyone taking NCLab’s training completes it. 

Question 1: The three pillars of NCLab training are independent self-paced coursework, academic advice, and instructional support. How well does this training method work for you overall? 1 = It doesn’t work for me at all. 2 = It does not work very well for me. 3 = I am not sure. 4 = it works quite well for me. 5 = I love it.

Averaged Response:

• 4.7 (Automation Technician Training)
• 4.7 (Data Analyst Training Program)
• 4.6 (Python Developer Training Program)

Question 2: NCLab training involves quite a bit of independent hands-on practice. How would you rate the importance of independent hands-on practice for you personally? 1 = I don’t need hands-on practice to learn. 2 = I would be OK with less hands-on practice. 3 = I am not sure. 4 = hands-on practice is quite important for me. 5 = hands-on practice is extremely important for me.

Averaged Response:

• 4.7 (Automation Technician Training)
• 4.8 (Data Analyst Training Program)
• 4.3 (Python Developer Training Program)

Question 3: If you decide to continue your training with NCLab, a lot of hard work lies ahead. Are you ready to make the commitment? 1 = no. 2 = probably not. 3 = I am not sure. 4 = probably. 5 = absolutely.

Averaged Response:

• 4.6 (Automation Technician Training)
• 4.9 (Data Analyst Training Program)
• 4.8 (Python Developer Training Program)

Beyond the numeric answers to the survey questions, some people chose to also make written comments, many of which further explain why our approach to training works so well.

Added Comments

• I prefer being self-paced, as I can complete lessons around my schedule. If I require extra assistance, there are resources available to me.
• I like that I do not have to do the course at a specific time or day because it allows me to work around my other responsibilities.
• I love self-paced learning. I am able to go as fast or as slow as life circumstances dictate at that time. I don’t have to attach myself to the speed of others, I can just go at my own pace for my own learning needs.
• I love the freedom to work on the course around my schedule. I don’t think I would be able to do a certificate program like this otherwise.
• There’s nothing I dislike about independent self-paced learning.
• I like that if I’m in a section where I’m understanding the material easily, I can move ahead instead of having to wait.  I can’t really think of a downside to this way of learning.
• I like that the class allows me to work around my own schedule!
• I can go through material I am familiar with quickly.
• I’m able to do it whenever. It also allows me to progress in a way such that I’m comfortable. Both are pluses. 
• I really like to work at my own pace.
• I prefer working at my own pace. I feel like it sets me up for success.
• I like that it gives me the freedom to work on stuff when I would like to, though I like the way my academic advisor holds me accountable.
• Sometimes it can be hard to hold myself accountable but it is good to learn that skill in the real world anyhow.

To get a copy of the entire survey,  Please fill the Get-In-Touch form below, or simply use the CHAT BOX at the bottom right of this screen.

Our Trainees Love To Learn By Doing

Elizabeth Boyd Howard College, San Angelo, Texas

I am having too much fun with the 3D Modeling course, and I can see uses for it particularly in Developmental Math courses for students who are visual learners and possibly College algebra! Glad I went to ISTE and took the class!!

Ramakrishna Bodapati Linwood, NJ

Amazing tools. There are many other tools but these three courses and modules are very well planned and there is synergy between them.

Alison Mclin Westmont High School, Campbell, CA

I’ve taught with Karel for 6 years now. This is no dull programming course! The activities are increasingly rigorous and students find the colorful graphics and story lines highly engaging. It’s the perfect tiptoe into industry-standard programming languages. The NCLab team are highly professional, knowledgeable and accommodating. I’ve used several other online curricula and return to Karel every time.

Jan Walker White Pine Middle School, Ely, NV

I am pretty excited that the students are really getting “into” this in the middle school now. Next year I will have a group of students who were in 5th grade classes with me last year and did all the nclab stuff. They stop me around town and talk to me about it often and wish they were in a class. I am excited to see how this is growing. Some students want to finish all the Karel and all the 3D and everything they can get their hands on.

Claudia Bertolone-Smith Minden Elementary School

We are on the Karel course and the kids are LOVING it! The room is full of excited energy and thinking!!! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with kids. You are making a difference in their lives!!

Jennifer Jones Dilworth STEM Academy

Karel the Robot is an exciting and addictive computer programming game for scholars at Dilworth, it actually gets them excited about math! Doing Karel is different from the every-day computations and inquiry problems. NCLab gives scholars an idea as to what is possible for their futures.

Glenda Billingsley Las Vegas Clark county Library District

I think you guys are simply unbelievably amazing. You are the voice of relevance for libraries, community education, innovation, tech, cross generational learning and more for the 21st century!! Thank you for all you are doing. It’s mind blowing.

Valerie Warren Children’s Services Department Head

I conducted my first class last week. The next two classes are booked full. All the kids surveyed said they would continue using NCLab at home. They also liked the buttons. They all wanted their certificates printed out, and we gave them file folders for their “Coding Portfolio.” They all said they would come back for more classes as well.

Claudia Maureen Melton Youth Services Department Head

Everyone is learning when they use NCLab. The kids, teens, librarians and parents are all involved in solving the problems. It creates an all-round, inclusive learning environment.

Elaine Brown Parent

Girls like my daughter Ella are not interested in creating games. She’s more motivated to create a different type of “product”. She learned more in 2 days at your camp then in her 7th grade tech class.

Christine Adams Parent

Your camp was amazing!! My son doesn’t want to put the computer down. It’s much better than his previous focus on video games. He loves the skills you have taught him!! It was a perfect end to winter break. Thank you!!

Robin Bort Parent

Galen came home and worked a bit more on his programming. He is definitely hooked! He was describing the things he learned to his dad during dinner tonight, and was so animated and excited! It’s wonderful to find something to interest him besides Legos, and school is boring 🙂

Rosa McVey Student

The Karel course works differently from Scratch – it has all the fun but gives me the real programming skills I need for Python and C++ programming.

Gwen Biebinger Student

I think that the Karel course is VERY GOOD. It’s more challenging the higher you go, but that makes it more fun.

Ravi Balsa Student

I have found NCLab’s Karel course to be an excellent introduction to programming. The course emphasizes logic and algorithmic thinking but conceals it in a fun and approachable game. It is better than Codecademy, Treehouse or any other commercial site I’ve found. Highly recommended!

Megan Reder Parent

My son is now so excited about building his 3D model of a plane that he now wants to go to the computer lab to sit with his face to the screen instead of running around playing tag with his friends…. Thanks NCLab!

I love my new job!

“My boss encouraged me to take the training and now I’m really glad I did because I’m now doing data analytics work full time.” L.L.

I love going to work every day!

“Thank you for giving me the competency and confidence that I needed to get a dream job. With my limited formal education, I had serious doubts that I could master SQL and Python but learning by doing worked perfectly.” G.K.

William Jordan Teacher

I tell all my robotic teacher colleagues how great Karel is with introducing students to coding for their robotic classes.

The format of this class has been extremely helpful Student

“Having never dealt with Linear Algebra, the format of this class has been extremely helpful in my success as a student. Being able to tackle the class at my own pace, collaborate with peers, and receive direct help from the professor in real time has been an invaluable experience.” M. N.

Perfect teaching method

“As an adult with a busy schedule and the need to work around banking business hours etc.: this method of teaching is perfect for me and I would recommend it for basically anyone on any subject.” F. V.

I’m really excited

“I’m feeling very good about the course so far, I’m really excited, I’ve been able to apply some of the concepts to my research already!” M. L

I am getting A’s now

“This math class was a huge help for me, specifically because of how it was taught and its layout it allowed me to go at my own pace. The system that this class uses makes it much easier to understand and visualize the problems and examples given to you. In my last math classes I was an average student, getting B’s and C’s on tests, but because I can learn at my own pace I am getting A’s on my tests now.” T.B.

So useful to me

“The course is so useful to me! I will go through the majority of the contents between now and February as I’m teaching the course within the same period.” T. A.

Challenging and fun

“This course feels like more of a challenge rather than a class, a lot more fun!” J. S.

Great flexibility

“I love the self-taught aspect of the course supplemented by the teacher. Instruction is excellent. The flexibility is superb.” A. R.

Well organized

“The feature I find most beneficial about this course format is that the notes are always one click away so I don’t need to keep track of writing down my own notes. I also like how we are able to learn at our own pace.” A. L.

Straight to the point

“The most beneficial parts of this hands on course is the ability to access the instructor and the strait-to-the-point lecture and side notes.” E. M.

Pacing is just right

“The format of the course ensures that I am learning what I need to before moving onto the next section. I can learn at my own pace and find supplemented instruction as needed. In many of my previous math courses I have had to spend time at home relearning the material. I really enjoy this format.” M.S.

Superb way to learn

“I really enjoyed the self-paced format of this training program. The material was presented clearly and concisely and allowed me to focus longer on concepts that were difficult, while glancing over concepts I was already familiar with.” A.C.

I really learned a lot

“I really learned a lot and have found a new passion towards data science and analytics I didn’t know I had.” M.N.

This is how I like to learn

“This is how I like to learn, at my own pace. I like the bite-sized tutorials and I feel a real sense of accomplishment when I complete the exercises that follow them.” M.J.

Totally worth it

“I just completed 3 courses: SQL Fundamentals, Advanced SQL, and Predictive Data Analytics with Python within the estimated hours that they had advised. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it!” Q.B

Great training!

“I watched videos, read short tutorials, viewed examples, ran demo programs, and then performed exercises that demonstrated my comprehension of the subject matter.” S.L.

I’m enjoying this course a lot

“The problem I have in most classes is that I tend to fall asleep during lectures, so being able to learn at my own pace while I’m most awake is a blessing.” F. T.

Brian LaTorre Sparks High School

Every school in our district will eventually have NCLab because of its capabilities, because of how well students relate to it, and because of the overall good it does for the students

Linda Niday Jacks Valley Elementary School

My computer club started with 17 kids and now it has 25. The NCLab coding program has been absolutely the most popular club I have ever done.

Bill Jordan Mont'Kiara International School

I love using Karel from NCLab in my middle school STEM (MYP Design) robotics course in Kuala Lumpur. My students learn coding in NCLab and then, after each lesson, they make a game to share with each other. They love being authors of games after each daily lesson. It is way cool to learn logical programming skills using Karel in NCLab and then transition to building real robot prototypes. Karel is a fantastic online programming class with all the support material to make a teacher’s life easy and enjoyable.

Craig Ham Westminster Schools of Augusta

Our school has been using NCLab’s Karel Coding course for many years, and we have been very happy with it. One of the unique features of Karel that our students love is the ability to create their own games as they are given full access to the pallets of Obstacles, Treasures and Bad Items. For teachers the data reports generate volumes of details for each unit, to include time spent, number of attempts, level scores and quiz scores. I can’t speak highly enough of this method of introducing beginners to computer programming.

The training is really great!

“Not easy but really informative. Practical experience was what I wanted and I feel that I got it.” F. Z.

Easier time learning

“The format of your Linear Algebra (MATH330) class using NCLab lets me have an easier time learning the material than in other courses. Thank you for having the class set up using this tool.” M.S.

The program is great

“I cannot compliment enough any training that involves students actually working on the problems rather than just listening.” A. S.

This class has turned that around…

“I have really enjoyed the course so far, and based on my test score this is the most successful I have been in a math course since high school. I would not call other classes I have had difficult but simply unengaging, and this class has turned that around.” Y. M.

Compliments to the NCLab team

“Please extend my compliments to the NCLab team if you can, and keep advocating for this type of learning, if at the very least as an option for people like me who learn well this way.” F. A.

Online delivery method that helps

“I didn’t speak up very much in class, but the online delivery method of the material really helped me learn it well!” S. T.

You do a great job explaining the concepts

“So far I’m enjoying the course. You do a great job explaining the concepts and the logic behind each step (the explanation for the difference between WHERE and HAVING comes to mind)!” R. C.

I’m really enjoying this class

“The emphasis on working at your own pace removes the stress of a normal class, and I can work around my other classes. NCLab is much better than similar programs, such as DataCamp. Not only do I learn the material, I retain it. Each lesson uses all or most of the previous concepts, which provides additional practice and ensures that you don’t forget the previous material. This is one of the most enjoyable and informative programs I’ve taken.” N. L.

NCLab has allowed me to excel in this class

“The quizzes after each section combined with the retakes and the practice problems with solutions make learning the material easy and engaging. I struggle with mental and learning difficulties (anxiety and ADHD) and the fact that the coursework is separated into sections with the quizzes with the retakes really helps. I cannot praise this program enough for how it has helped me process the material even in remote learning.” K.S.

I really feel like I learned a lot

“I only really worked with matrices when doing differential equations, so this was my first exposure to the full extent of their potential. I found the most interesting parts of the course being those that relate to real-world applications of linear equations such as discussing ways to save memory with compression and truncation. I really liked the last two sections, and I feel like it’s a shame that those were optional because they really feel like they help hammer in what we’ve already learned whilst addressing how it’s typically done with technology.” T. S.

It’s working well

“It might sound weird, but I feel as though it teaches the right parts for Python. When I was learning Python before, there were a lot of steps that felt skipped but are explained now.” P.T.

I am thoroughly enjoying the training

“I feel like I am learning a skill, much more than I felt in other courses. The use of repetition, doing programming in pieces, and the entire way the platform is laid out are far superior to how my university teaches their main, introductory, programming courses. It is too bad that the philosophy of academia is standing in its own way.” K.L.

I love it!

“I feel like I am actually LEARNING how to program, and the chunking method of the material is wonderful.” D.A.

I have used a tutor before

“I do have to tell you, this is the first upper-level math class that I have not needed a tutor for.” M. T.

Yes!!

“I am really enjoying this course and learning python and I also like the way that it teaches the material. I’m very glad I took this course!” R. B.

Students have a choice

“It made me think that perhaps we should present our courses a bit differently. Not as a replacement for traditional instruction, but as something which gives students a choice. The self-paced learn-by-doing materials are so good that students have a choice, to either sit in lectures or to study successfully on their own.” J. S.

Large amount of Python programming practice

“I really enjoyed and found the Python Fundamentals and Advanced Python courses incredibly useful. In fact, the large amount of Python programming practice questions in both courses helped me obtain my summer software development internship at Pfizer by preparing me for a variety of programming interview questions.” F. F.

One of my most engaging courses

“The Computational Literacy For Modern Careers course offered by NCLab was one of the most engaging courses I took. I particularly enjoyed how interactive the course was. I found myself thinking about the lessons in my free time, trying to walk through problems in my head so that I would be ready for more difficult material when I logged back in. It was the perfect balance of challenging and rewarding. NCLab made computer programming approachable, which was especially helpful for me, since I had very little prior experience with coding.”  — F.E.

I’m in control of my pace of learning.

“NCLab allows you to work at your own pace which makes learning easier. It also deals with a lot of hands-on learning and practicing writing code which has made me a more confident computer programmer. Overall NCLab is a great program.” — A.S.

It taught me the basics of algorithmic thinking.

“The course is set up in such a way that it’s actually enjoyable to progress through the sections and try to figure out the best way to do things. Despite learning so much, I always felt like I was playing a puzzle game rather than learning how to think like a computer.” — W.C.

I didn’t think learning could be fun until now.

“The methodology of this course taught me to code though a game that required me to bring the robot home through a maze using programming principles. It was an incredibly fun and helpful way to learn the material.” – DD

The idea of coding used to give me a lot of anxiety.

“The NCLab Computational Literacy for Modern Careers course that I am currently taking has made me want to pursue a career in coding. The course goes in depth on what goes into the code instead of making the students memorize everything. The idea of coding used to give me a lot of anxiety, but now I am only wanting to learn more.” — K.A.

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