Connecticut has become the first state in the U.S. to offer the full suite of Google Career Certificates across its state colleges and universities system, with the program now available to all community colleges and career and technical education (CTE) high schools across the nation to onboard.
Part of the Grow with Google economic opportunity initiative, the certificates are available on the online learning platform Coursera. The program equips people with skills for in-demand jobs within three to six months ”” with no degree or experience required ”” at a time when employers in information technology-related sectors have reported a skills gap in the U.S. workforce.
“This is exactly what workforce development is all about,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “We have employers that are looking to hire individuals with these digital skills, and our community college system responded quickly by entering into a partnership with Google to ensure our colleges are ready to start equipping students with these skills so they can enter these in-demand careers that pay over $60,000.”
Following an agreement between Google, the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, Google and Coursera will provide a diverse population of Connecticut residents with the training to fill positions in data analytics, IT support, project management and UX design fields; those areas are projected to grow in the next 10 years, with an average starting salary of $69,000.
After completing the program, graduates can share their resume with an employer consortium of more than 150 companies, including Infosys, Verizon, Walmart, Wayfair and Google. Infosys has already pledged to hire 250 program graduates at its Hartford location.
“We believe that to have sustainable economic growth, we must have inclusive growth and we are committed to continuing to help people develop the digital skills they need to participate in this economy,” said Ruth Porat, CFO of Google parent Alphabet Inc.
“Starting in early 2022, community colleges in all corners of Connecticut will offer Google”™s IT Support Certificate, with other certificates rolling out throughout the spring and summer,” said CSCU President Terrence Cheng, who described the initiative as “a testament to Gov. Lamont”™s laser focus on workforce development.”
Building on Google”™s initiative with Jobs for the Future to offer its first certificate in IT support to more than 100 community colleges, the company”™s new partnerships aim to help individuals bridge the skills gap by gaining the skills needed to take advantage of job openings. Those institutions play a key role in workforce training with 44% of all U.S. undergraduates attending community colleges, and 7.5 million high school students enrolled in CTE programs.
Through the College of Technology, all Connecticut community colleges will offer credit courses that will include Google Career Certificate courses beginning in spring 2022. Noncredit courses will also be offered regionally using the community colleges”™ workforce development offices, with the rollout of the Google IT Support certificate in spring 2022. CSCU will partner with the Office of Workforce Strategy to help initially subsidize these programs for students and job seekers.
The Connecticut Department of Labor was recruited by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies to be one of five states administering up to 100 Grow with Google scholarships for veterans and their spouses. The scholarships will be distributed through the American Job Center by CTDOL”™s Disabled Veterans”™ Outreach Program specialists who work directly with veterans to meet their employment training needs.
The Google Career Certificates have a track record of helping people rapidly skill and obtain in-demand jobs: 53% of graduates identify as Black, Latino, female, or veteran, and 82% of graduates report a positive career impact within six months of completion, such as a raise, promotion, or new job.
