Google is launching new certificates that offer a way for people to fast-track their career toward digital jobs in high-demand fields.
Google Career Certificates can be earned through completing six-month courses. To start, the programs being offered include:
- Data Analyst
- Project Manager
- UX Designer
Kent Walker, Google’s SVP of Global Affairs, says the certificates will hold the same weight as a four-year degree in a related field.
“In our own hiring, we will now treat these new career certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles.”
Walker claims there’s “no college degree required” if a job applicant has one of Google’s career certificates.
The goal is to help Americans learn digital job skills so they can get back to back to work now – not four years from now.
Here’s more about each of these certificates, how they’re earned, and how much they cost.
What Is a Google Career Certificate?
A Google career certificate is a certificate issued by Google that validates a person’s knowledge of specific skills.
Google’s career certificates are available to all U.S. citizens regardless of previous job experience or education level.
Courses required to earn the certificates are entirely developed by Google and hosted on Coursera. So they can all be done online at one’s own pace.
How Much Does It Cost to Take a Google Career Certificate Course?
It costs $49 per month to access Google’s certificate programs on Coursera.
Grants and scholarships will be available for those who need them.
The monthly fee also provides access to resources that can assist with job search and interview preparation.
Total cost of each course will vary according to how long it takes each individual to complete it.
Google estimates the completion time for each course to be around six months, but there’s no strict timeframe.
A course could take more or less time to complete depending on how much work is put into it each month.
Again, the courses include:
- Data Analyst ($66k median annual wage): Learn how to use tools and platforms to process, analyze, visualize, and gain insights from data.
- Project Manager ($93k median annual wage): Learn the foundations of traditional project management and gain insight into agile project management.
- UX Designer ($75k median annual wage): Learn the foundations of UX design and research, building low-fidelity designs and wireframes, creating high-fidelity prototypes, and testing.
It’s not yet known when Google will begin offering these courses, other than to say they’ll be coming “soon.”
Google first announced the programs back in July. Presumably the company is trying to build up awareness before
If the idea is to get America back to work, then it would make sense to assume the courses will be available any day now.
Google is letting people sign up to be notified via email as soon as the courses are open.
Job Prospects
Google says it will treat its own certificates as the equivalent of a college degree – but what about other employers?
Certainly not everyone will be fortunate enough to land a job with Google. Fortunately, other opportunities will be available.
Google says it’s committed to helping certificate holders get hired, and can even send information directly to top employers.
“Earning the certificate is an important first step, and you’ll also be supported in the next step — the job search. Once you complete the program, you can opt in to share your information directly with top employers hiring for jobs in these fields.”
Hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities will be available at Google for people who complete the career certificate programs to provide real on-the-job training.
For more information, and to sign up for notifications, see the landing page here.
