Google to offer $100,000 for free online course to any US business
According to Google, over 70,000 people in the United States and 205,000 internationally have received at least one certificate, with 75 percent receiving a benefit such as a new job or increased income within six months.
Alphabet Inc's Google said on Monday that any US business with more than $100,000 in revenue will receive free online courses in data analytics, design, and other digital skills for their employees. The offer represents a significant extension of Google's Career Certificates programme, which the firm established in 2018 to assist people all around the world improve their resumes by learning new technologies at their own speed.
According to Google, over 70,000 people in the United States and 205,000 internationally have received at least one certificate, with 75 percent receiving a benefit such as a new job or increased income within six months.
The Google-designed courses, which are provided through the online education provider Coursera Inc, generally cost students about $39 per month and take three to six months to complete. Google will now pay the price of up to 500 employees at any U.S. organisation, with grants worth at $100,000 because people typically take up to six months to complete.
Also Read |Â Google is killing call recording apps on Android phones from May 11
According to Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google, the company unit in charge of certificates, course completion rates are higher when people pay for them out of pocket, but the new offer is still worthwhile if it can help some businesses gain digital savvy.
IT support, project management, e-commerce, and digital marketing certificates are also offered. They cover prominent software in each sector, as well as Google advertising services.
Also Read |Â Google to set up first product development centre in Africa's Nairobi
Meanwhile, Google has announced the opening of its first Africa product development centre in Nairobi, Kenya, as it prepares to serve the continent's growing number of internet users. According to the California-based firm, the continent will have 800 million internet users and one-third of the world's teenage population by the end of this decade, making it an interesting investment area.