Google offers tech skill certificates, scholarships for enrolled jobseekers

Google announced Monday that it has launched new programs and commitments to help job seekers who have been impacted by COVID-19.

It is offering three new Google Career Certificates in high-growth, high-paying fields, adding to the IT Support Professional (IT Cert) and Automation with Python Certificates that have helped break barriers for underserved groups to enter the tech workforce.

Part of the Grow with Google economic opportunity initiative, the certificates will be available on the online learning platform Coursera. They will focus on Data Analytics, Project Management, and User Experience (UX) Design, with no degree required to enroll.

Development of these certificates comes at a crucial time as many nationwide struggle with unemployment due to the impact of COVID-19. Nearly two-thirds of all new jobs created since 2010 require either high- or medium-level digital skills. This presents a challenge to many job seekers, as well as to long-term economic security in the U.S. People need good paying jobs, and in turn the broader economy needs their energy and skills for growth in the coming years.

In July of 2019, Google officially broke ground on its $600 million data center in Henderson, Nev. Once fully operational, the data center will employ a number of people in a variety of full-time and contractor roles, including computer technicians, engineers and various food services, maintenance and security roles.

People need good-paying jobs, and in turn, the broader economy needs their energy and skills for growth in the coming years.

To help, Google also announced it is funding 100,000 need-based scholarships for individuals enrolled in any of these Career Certificate programs. The company will consider all of its Career Certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles at Google.

“College degrees are out of reach for many Americans, and you shouldn’t need a college diploma to have economic security,” said Kent Walker, Senior Vice President of Global Affairs at Google. “We need new, accessible job-training solutions — from enhanced vocational programs to online education — to help America recover and rebuild.”

The Google Career Certificates will equip participants with the essential skills they need to get a job. The IT Cert’s hiring consortium currently includes over 50 national employers such as Walmart, Hulu and Sprint, with whom participants can directly share their resume upon completion of the program.

Google will also create a hiring consortium for the new certificates, along with offering hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities at Google to provide graduates with on-the-job training. Starting this fall, the certificates will also be offered in Career and Technical Education high schools throughout America, starting with the IT Cert. This builds on an established partnership with more than 100 community colleges.

To support these initiatives, Google.org announced it is awarding over $10 million in job grants to three nonprofits — the YWCA, NPower, and JFF — to help workforce boards and nonprofits improve their job training programs and increase access to digital skills for women, veterans, and underserved Americans. To date, Google.org has contributed over $200 million in grants to nonprofits that create economic opportunity worldwide.

“Google wants to ensure that technology helps all Americans emerge from this economic crisis — without limitation based on zip code, race, background or education level,” said Lisa Gevelber, Vice President of Grow with Google. “We are excited to help equip Americans with the skills they need to succeed and get jobs through these new career certificates and scholarships.”

The new certificates follow the success of the Google IT Cert, which is designed to prepare people for entry-level jobs in IT support in under six months. The most popular certificate on Coursera, the program provides a pathway to jobs for those without college degrees and underserved groups (58 percent of participants identify as Black, Latino, female or veteran. Eighty percent of participants report that the program helped them advance their job search or career within six months.

“Online learning can be one of the most effective and safest ways to help Americans learn career-relevant digital skills in the current environment,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera. “We’re excited to support Google in expanding the impact and success of its IT Support Certificate program by launching an entire suite of Google career credentials, backed by a hiring consortium. Now many more Americans will have the opportunity to learn the skills required to enter jobs of the future.”

The Google Career Certificates are being created and taught by Google employees and can be completed in three to six months. Starting today, anyone can pre-register for the programs at grow.google/certificates, and they will be notified once the courses are launched.

About Grow with Google
Grow with Google was started in 2017 to help Americans grow their skills, careers and businesses. It provides free training, tools, and expertise to help small business owners, veterans and military families, jobseekers and students, educators, startups, and developers. Since Grow with Google’s inception, it has helped more than five million Americans grow their skills, careers and businesses. In addition to its virtual and brick-and-mortar presence, Grow with Google has created a network of more than 7,000 partner organizations like libraries, schools, small business development centers, chambers of commerce and nonprofits to help people coast-to-coast.

About Coursera
Coursera was founded in 2012 with a vision of providing life-transforming learning experiences to anyone, anywhere. Today, it is a leading online learning platform for higher education and career development, where 65 million learners from around the world come to learn skills of the future. More than 200 of the world’s top universities and industry educators partner with Coursera to offer projects, courses, Specializations, certificates, and degrees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Coursera offered many virtual tools for free, including select courses, community resources, and expert conversations.