Free Adult Basic Education Courses Expand Access to Essential Literacy, Numeracy, and Digital Skills

Alison has launched seven new Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses designed to support adults worldwide in developing essential literacy, numeracy, digital, and workplace communication skills. The free online courses respond to persistent global skills gaps that continue to limit access to employment, lifelong learning, and social participation for millions of adults.

Globally, an estimated 770 million adults lack basic literacy skills, and many more struggle with functional numeracy and digital competence skills that are increasingly essential in everyday life and work. These challenges disproportionately affect women, marginalised communities, and those who experienced interrupted or limited access to formal education.

The newly launched courses include:

• Adult Basic Education: Reading Foundations
• Adult Basic Education: Everyday Basic Maths Concepts for Adults
• Adult Basic Education: Everyday Communication Skills – Foundation
• Adult Basic Education: Everyday Writing and Spelling
• Adult Basic Education: Everyday Maths
• Adult Basic Education: Digital Skills for Learning and Work
• Adult Basic Education: Workplace Communication and Job Skills

Together, these courses provide a structured and practical pathway for adult learners to build confidence in foundational skills that underpin independence, employability, and continued learning.

Delivering Measurable Social Impact Through Education

Foundational skills deficits have far-reaching consequences. Adults with low literacy and numeracy are significantly more likely to experience long-term unemployment, low wages, and social exclusion. In an increasingly digital economy, lack of basic digital skills further compounds inequality, limiting access to jobs, services, and information.

By offering these Adult Basic Education courses free of charge and online, Alison aims to remove key barriers to learning cost, location, and time while supporting adults to improve real-world outcomes such as job readiness, workplace communication, and everyday problem-solving.

The courses are self-paced, accessible via desktop and the Alison App on Android and iOS, and designed with practical, everyday application in mind.

Alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals

This initiative supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

SDG 4: Quality Education – by expanding access to inclusive, equitable, and free lifelong learning opportunities for adults.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – by strengthening essential employability skills such as numeracy, communication, and digital literacy.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – by supporting learners who face systemic barriers to education and skills development.

By focusing on foundational education, Alison contributes to long-term social and economic resilience at both individual and community levels.

Mike Feerick, CEO of Alison, said: “Hundreds of millions of adults globally are held back not by lack of potential, but by lack of access to foundational education. These Adult Basic Education courses are about restoring opportunity giving learners the skills, confidence, and autonomy they need to participate fully in society and the modern workforce.”

The launch of these seven courses strengthens Alison’s mission to make high-quality education freely accessible at scale and reinforces its commitment to using education as a catalyst for social mobility and sustainable development.

Learners can enrol in any of the Adult Basic Education courses at no cost on Alison.com and receive a digital certificate upon completion.

Media contact

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About Alison

Alison is a global leader in free online learning and skills development. With over 45 million registered learners across 193 countries (as of July 23, 2025), Alison empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to upskill quickly and effectively — at zero cost.

The Alison platform provides immediate access to over 5,500 free, CPD-accredited courses, covering essential areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Business Operations, Healthcare and Sustainability. Courses are created by a mix of independent experts and global leaders, including IBM, Stanford and Microsoft.

For organisations, Alison offers a Free Learning Management System (LMS), enabling unlimited learners to access thousands of courses with no upfront cost. A premium version with advanced analytics and customisation is also available. Alison's offering includes a full suite of assessments and psychometric tools, including a Workforce Personality Assessment, Mental Health & Wellbeing, English Language Proficiency, as well as Numeracy, Verbal and Abstract Reasoning tests.

To further support career development, learners also gain access to a Career Guide, Resumé Builder, and the ability to study offline through the Alison App.

In 2025, Alison is launching a Global Recruitment Service to connect employers directly with skilled, motivated learners. The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with full Spanish, French, and Hindi offerings — reaffirming its mission to make education accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Founded in 2007, Alison pioneered the concept of free, large-scale online learning and is recognised as the world’s first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. Today, its mission continues: to break down barriers to learning, helping people gain skills, build confidence, and improve their lives — no matter where they live or what they earn.