X

Google to fund 100,000 online certification scholarships to train US workers

The search giant also promises $10 million in job training grants.

Alexandra Garrett Associate Editor
Alexandra is an associate editor on CNET's Performance Optimization team. She graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, and interned with CNET's Tech and News teams while in school. Prior to joining CNET full time, Alexandra was a breaking news fellow at Newsweek, where she covered current events and politics.
Expertise Culture, How-To, Tech, Home, Wellness, Money, News
Alexandra Garrett
Google headquarters in Mountain View, California

Google considers its certifications equivalent to a four-year college degree.

Stephen Shankland/CNET

Google  has announced a new initiative to help US workers get qualifications in high-paying, high-growth job fields such as data analytics, project management and user experience design. It'll fund 100,000 online certification scholarships as part of the initiative, the search giant said Monday.

"College degrees are out of reach for many Americans, and you shouldn't need a college diploma to have economic security," Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president of global affairs, said in a release. "We need new, accessible job-training solutions — from enhanced vocational programs to online education — to help America recover and rebuild."

The certifications don't require a college degree or prior experience in the field, Google noted. The online certification classes are taught by its employees, with a course taking about six months to complete and considered equivalent to a four-year college degree.

Google will also commit $10 million in job training grants to communities across the US, including nonprofits organizations YWCA, NPower and JFF. They've partnered with Google to provide job skills for women, veterans and underrepresented groups.