Education Dive

Natalie Schwartz

July 14, 2020

Dive Brief:

• Google is launching three certificates on Coursera’s online platform in a bid to help workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced this week.

• The certificates — which will be in data analytics, project management and user experience design — will cost $49 a month and take three to six months to complete. Google will fund 100,000 need-based scholarships for those who take them.

• The new certificates build on Google’s ongoing efforts to shape curriculum at community colleges and build a pipeline of workers with the skills it needs.

Dive Insight:

The pandemic has put millions of people in the U.S. out of work, with unemployment levels peaking at 14.7% in April. Although the unemployment rate fell to around 11% in June, the recent surge in confirmed coronavirus cases across the country could hamper economic recovery.

Google bills the new certificates, which will be available by the end of the year, as a way to help people without college diplomas find jobs. It will consider the completion of one of the programs as equivalent to a four-year degree for relevant roles at the company.

Google already offers two information technology certificates through Coursera.

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