We recently introduced you to SAS Skill Builder for Students, a new online learning portal where college and university students can access free software, e-learning, guided certification exam prep, an exam discount, and career resources.   This week we want to help you get started. After registering for Skill Builder, you’ll be taken directly into the portal. There, you’ll see three tabs: Learn SAS, Get SAS Certified and Career Resources. The place to begin is the Learn SAS tab.     If you’re brand new to SAS, click on Get Tips in the Help me get started box. Here you’ll find information about our two free learning software options – SAS OnDemand for Academics and SAS Viya for Learners – and recommendations regarding courses and certification pathways that meet your goals. Whether you are interested in coding, a more intuitive way to explore data, or learning how to turn data into compelling stories through data visualizations, there is a course and a pathway for you.    When you’re ready start learning, click on I want to build analytics skills. This will take you to a list of learning pathways: Programming; Visual Analytics and Visual Statistics; Statistical Analysis, Predictive Modeling, and Machine Learning; Foundational Skills; and JMP Statistical Analysis. Click the plus sign next to the topic that interests you to see the associated e-learning courses and certification pathways. If you want to see all the e-learning Skill Builder offers in a single view, click Expand All in the upper right corner.     Another great place to start your learning is Data Literacy Essentials. You’ll find this free e-learning course in Skill Builder under Foundational Skills. Data Literacy Essentials features six modules and introduces data basics, as well as what it means to be data-literate. It teaches strategies for seeing the usefulness in data, interrogating data, discovering meaning, making decisions and communicating data. The course also focuses on the ethical challenges of working with data.    Upon completion of any e-learning course in Skill Builder, you will earn a digital badge that you can add to your online profiles. Badges demonstrate your knowledge to future employers. We’ll talk more about earning badges and getting SAS certified in our next post. ... View more

Introducing SAS Skill Builder for Students, a new online portal where college and university students can develop in-demand data skills that will give you a competitive edge with employers. Skill Builder for Students provides everything you need any time you want it: access to free learning software and e-learning courses; guided certification pathways that make test prep easier; a special student price for exams*; and career resources to keep you motivated and inspired.   Getting started is simple:   1. Visit the SAS Skill Builder for Students webpage 2. Click on Log in Now to Get Free Resources 3. Log in or create a SAS profile. To validate your access to SAS Skill Builder for Students, your profile must use an email address associated with your academic domain. If you have already have a SAS Profile but it doesn’t use your academic email address, be sure to change it prior to registering for Skill Builder to maintain any learning progress you've already made. 4. Review and accept the license agreement. Once you do that, you will be taken right into the Skill Builder portal, where you can start exploring.   Stay tuned for upcoming posts about the resources in SAS Skill Builder for Students and other ways you can develop the analytics skills employers seek.  *This certification exam discount is not available in China or India. Please email the country office in China or India to inquire about other discounts or promotions that may apply. Students in Japan, please contact your local SAS office to inquire about discounted certification exams. ... View more