American University hosts free courses to help furloughed workers

Vicki Wilkins of American University in Washington, D.C. had an idea: add more students to their classrooms during the partial government shutdown.

“To give them a chance while furloughed to get some new skills, take a workshop get some networking in,” Wilkins says.

The idea was to offer 12 free classes for those whose paychecks have been on hiatus since late last year.

Classes include subjects like “Building Your Brand” and “Mindfulness in the Workplace.”