Google recently announced that they will be giving every U.S. business up to 500 Google Career Certificate scholarships to upskill employees, which could be worth as much as $100,000 of workforce training to any one American company.
Google Offering Up to $100,000 in Career Certificate Scholarships to Every Small Business in the US
The Google Career Certificates enable job seekers to study part-time for 3-6 months to gain the skills required to fill roles within in-demand fields, with no degree or experience required to be eligible. The certificates are part of the Grow with Google campaign, which recently added new Google Career Certificates specifically for digital marketing and ecommerce.
Small Business and the Need for Digital Tools
The certificates will also train businesses in how to find customers online and selling products or services, as well as marketing analytics and measurement. This is especially relevant to small businesses now as the online market has grown massively since the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly half of small business owners lacking the necessary skills to use digital tools.
Interestingly, two out of three U.S. small-and-medium sized businesses have reported that using digital tools during the pandemic helped them discover new business opportunities. This includes the majority of Black and Latino-owned SMBs, who will all be helped by the digital marketing and ecommerce Google Certificates which focus on the skills needed to expand their online footprint.
Recipients of the certificates can expect to receive hands-on experience with digital marketing tools and platforms including Canva, Constant Contact, Hubspot, Shopify, Twitter, Google Ads and Google Analytics. The Certificate scholarships will also help small businesses retain and train current talent, and even provide them with new skills that allow them to tap into new sources of revenue.
Unlocking ‘New Areas of Economic Potential’
The founder of Grow with Google, Lisa Gevelber, said: “Technology continues to drive economic growth and job opportunities. It’s essential that both jobseekers and companies have access to the skills needed to grow an online presence and unlock new areas of economic potential. Google is thrilled to help through our Digital Marketing and E-commerce Certificate and our commitment to enable every American business to upskill their employees at no cost.”
The Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Canva, Amy Schultz, added: “We’re proud to partner with Google to support anyone to accelerate their digital skills. The world is quickly becoming an increasingly visual place, and both digital and visual communication will be key skills for just about every career. We’re looking forward to working with Google to empower people in a job market that is all about skill development.”
Graduates Will be Considered for Roles
Designed by experts at Google with significant input from many of the leading ecommerce companies, the program has also been endorsed the American Advertising Federation and the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
To connect graduates to jobs, the program also offers access to an employer consortium of over 150 companies which includes the likes of Deloitte, Infosys, Verizon, Walmart, Wayfair and even Google themselves. Each member company of the consortium has committed to considering each certificate recipient for relevant entry-level roles.
Around 70,000 people have graduated from the certificate program since its launch in 2018, with three-quarters of them reporting that it had a positive impact on their careers.
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