As for Penguin being an okay entity, I'll remind people of their merger with AuthorHouse/Author Solutions. Money flows in one direction, and it is not toward that bunch, even if it is a different division.
Anyone can offer a "course" in writing, but the same information is free if you take the same amount of time to look around on the Net. AW is certainly going to be superior to anything this place can offer, if only for "Learn Writing With Uncle Jim." The countless Sticky Notes are gold for the taking. I wish this place had been around when I started out!
Then there is the wholly free stuff available on SFWA:
http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/
And freebie advice and workshops on Harlequin (not just for romance, but for all writing).
http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/category/writers-workshop/
Plus the blogs of writers, agents, and editors that you can't help but trip over when doing a basic Google search. They're all into paying it forward!
The only difference is you don't get bragging rights to say you completed a course that's going to charge you a buttload of money to take.
As has been pointed out, no editor is going to be impressed by that. It's as bad as saying "My mom loved this!" Editors will only notice if another editor paid you for your words, period. I know several who don't bother reading cover letters and go straight to the submission first. If they like the writing, they will ask for more and check your resume. If they don't then they move on to the next submission.
Reputable or not, I recommend some Google Fu, use the resources of AW, and reading your local library. (All of it, don't stint!) You'll come out smarter and it's free.
From the site:
For an additional £150, graduates of The Writers’ Academy can also choose to submit a piece of work of up to 3,000 words for review. This work will be edited and critiqued by a Penguin Random House Editor, who will also provide you with detailed feedback and tips.
For a mere $10.00US I know an experienced author and editor who will give a thorough critique of those same 3,000 words. If she thinks you're not ready for it, she refunds payment. PM me for a link if you like.
It is tempting to want to pay a LOT for feedback, perhaps with the idea that the more you pay the better it will be. But remember it is to be had for FREE right here on AW. You benefit from multiple writers pitching in, not just one.
Again, I wish AW had been around when I started out!