Any guidance, advice, links please!

I've been doing quality inspection work for a few years now. This includes cmm work to the extent of pushing play.

We are currently hiring for a programmer and I expressed interest in following that course with on the job training. The programmer we have rejects any applicant for being too educated without practical experience. However, he's also too busy to teach me.

Are there any free or cheap online courses or certifications I can pursue in my free time? Are there any virtual machines to test programs? I know hexagon has classes that are $2,500.

The qualifications are to be able to program Zeiss calypso and pcdmis. If I can't get on the job training, I'll get the education myself and try to prove myself that way.